The Matchmaker
by ParisWriter
Summary: Having lost Makino to Domyouji, Rui was alone once again. Enter Shizuka, who is sure she's found a perfect match for her closest friend. Will these two hit it off, or will it be strike three for Rui? Dramaverse. (Rui/OC, slight Soujiroh/Yuuki)
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Some of you might recognize this story. I had previously posted it under a different user name on here, but since I'm working on consolidating all of my fanfiction under a single account (see my profile for more information) that old version has been scrapped in favor of this new posting.

Please be aware that this fic contains a Rui/OC pairing. If you don't like original characters, skip this story and find another one to read. There will also be some TxT, but it'll be minimal since they're not the main focus of the story. And because I think they make a cute couple, I'll probably throw in some Soujiroh/Yuuki action. Please keep in minds that this story is based more in the Dramaverse than the Anime/Mangaverse, and picks up directly after the last episode of the second Japanese series.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Hana Yori Dango or any of the characters from the series. I'm just having fun with them.

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><p><span>Chapter One<span>

Shizuka Todo sighed to herself as she closed the heavy wooden door of her family's large mansion behind her. She was elated that things had gone so well for Tsukushi and Tsukasa, but the joyfulness of the night's events had worn her out nearly to the point of complete exhaustion. Slipping off her shoes, she let out another sigh, grateful to finally be rid of them and let her aching feet breathe. Yes, she loved getting dressed up, but for as much as she loved the designer shoes she could afford to splurge on, she hated the way they always seemed to confine her feet.

She quietly padded up the stairs and down the hall toward her room, knowing that her parents and most of the staff had probably turned in for the night. Things had gone on later than expected, and while she knew one or two of the servants would still be awake, waiting to see if she required anything before turning in, the majority of them would have gotten to bed as early as they normally did in preparation of rising just before sunrise to begin their daily chores about the house.

"Shizuka?"

Shizuka turned at the sound of her name, a smile lighting up her tired face when she saw who had addressed her. The girl was a few inches shorter than her, even without the added height of her shoes, with wide blue eyes and red hair reaching just below her shoulders that curled slightly at the ends. Her pale skin was devoid of the numerous freckles that often plagued those with her coloring – a fact she herself had told Shizuka she considered to be a blessing – and the only mark marring her fair complexion was a small scar along her collarbone on the right side.

"Erika, so glad you've made it here safely," Shizuka addressed her, stepping closer to the doorway she was standing in. "How was your trip?"

Erkia nodded slightly. "Aside from the delay and my luggage getting lost, it was just fine."

"Your luggage was lost?" Shuzuka asked, blinking in disbelief.

"They _swore_ the bags were put on your jet, but they were nowhere on that plane when we landed. Hence the reason I'm still wearing this," she finished, gesturing to the casual attire she was currently wearing, which consisted of jeans and a t-shirt for a band Shizuka had gone with her to see in concert.

"So that's why you didn't come to the prom."

"Actually," Erika said, looking a bit uncomfortable, "I likely wouldn't have gone, anyway."

"Why not?" Shizuka asked her, looking a bit disappointed.

"Don't get me wrong, I really did appreciate your offer, but it really wasn't my place to just barge in. I mean, it wasn't exactly _my _school. I wouldn't have known anyone there besides you."

"I could have introduced you to some people," Shizuka told her with a kind smile. _Especially one __person in particular_, she added in the back of her mind.

"I'm sorry, Shizuka," Erika apologized. "I know you said you wanted me to meet your friends. I _would_ like to meet them, honestly."

Shizuka waved off her apology with one hand, shaking her head as she continued smiling at her. "Another time."

Erika nodded. "Definitely."

"I'm sure you must be tired," Shizuka said, noticing the slight drooping of the girl's eyelids. "Has anyone shown you to your room?" Erika shook her head and Shizkua gestured down the hallway with her hand. "This way."

Erika quietly followed as Shizuka led her to her room, looking about the house in silent wonder. Never had she seen such a place. Even her old boyfriend, who had been the golden boy of her hometown, hadn't lived in a house _this_ big. It was more like a castle than a house. It made her more than a little uncomfortable being in such a wealthy setting, even though she knew she was a welcome guest.

It had surprised her to find out that Shizuka had come from such a family. Sure, she was beautiful and always well-dressed, but she had always been so genuinely kind and considerate to everyone that Erika had a hard time believing that she was from one of the wealthiest families in Japan. She had known her share of rich people in her life, and more often than not they turned out to be snobs who looked down on the lower classes – like her ex-boyfriend.

"Here we are," Shizuka said, pulling Erika out of her thoughts. She watched as Shizkua pushed open a set of double doors and walked into a room that was easily twice the size of the entire apartment she had been renting back in Paris.

"Wow," Erika breathed in awe as she followed Shizuka into the room, turning around as she walked so she could see the room in its entirety. The walls were adorned with candelabras held aloft by marble cherubs, and delicately carved moldings that appeared to be made from solid gold. Several paintings hung on the walls, and she was sure they _weren't _duplicates. Above their heads, not one, but _two_ chandeliers glimmered, casting the room in a soft glow. "This... is _really_ too much Shizuka. Don't you have a smaller guest room I could stay in?"

"The only smaller rooms are in the servants' quarters, and you're not staying there," Shizuka insisted as she began digging around in an antique dresser against one wall.

"Well... thanks for letting me stay here for the summer. I appreciate it."

"Not at all," Shizuka replied with a shake of her head, pulling out night clothes that she thought might fit the smaller woman. "After all, I know how much you were loathing the idea of going home over the break."

Erika held up her hands, silently asking her to stop talking. "Can we please _not_ discuss that?"

"Understood," Shizuka agreed with a nod, smiling in apology, then handed her the neatly folded clothes. "Here. These might be a little big, but they'll do for tonight. If your bags haven't been located by morning, we'll go shopping and get you some new clothes."

"How am I supposed to afford-"

Shizuka waved off her concerns. "You're my guest, remember? Don't worry about it."

"Alright... Thank you," Erika said, bowing appreciatively.

"Get some sleep," Shizuka ordered her with a smile, her voice taking on an almost motherly tone. "Tomorrow's going to be a busy day."

"It is?" Erika asked, blinking in confusion.

"I'll take you to meet my friends, and we'll start getting you fitted for your dress."

"My dress?" she echoed, growing even more confused by the minute.

Shizuka nodded. "For the engagement party."

"_What _engagement party?"

"I'll explain in the morning," Shizuka informed her, giving her a gentle push toward the bed. "Now, rest."

Erika opened her mouth to protest, but ended up yawning instead. Shikuza laughed and wished her a good night, then retreated from the room before she could regain her composure and begin arguing with her about being so vague. Perhaps she hadn't been able to introduce Rui to her at the prom, but that small detail would be rectified soon enough.

Back in her room, as she prepared for bed, Erika wondered what, exactly, she had gotten herself into by accepting Shizuka Todo's summer invitation.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I just wanted to say that while the F4 boys _still _aren't in this chapter (they'll either show up in chapter three or four), they do get a tiny bit more of a mention in this one. And on another note: If anyone can pick out the _other_ manga/anime I've thrown in a link to in this chapter, I'll give you a cookie.

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><p><span>Chapter Two<span>

Erika rolled over onto her back in the large bed, groaning in protest when her face was hit with the bright light of the sun coming in through the large picture window. Shielding her eyes with one hand, she slowly opened her eyelids to peek at the clock sitting on the mantle of the fireplace next to the window.

"One fifty-two," she muttered to herself as she let her heavy eyelids fall back into place. A moment later, she sat upright in bed, suddenly wide awake.

"One fifty-two?" she repeated in disbelief, throwing aside the covers and jumping out of bed. She sprinted across the room, backtracking a few steps shy of the door to grab the robe she had tossed over one of the chairs in the room and pulling it around herself as she threw open the door and quickly walked down the hallway toward the stairs. She passed a few of the servants along the way, but either they didn't notice her or decided it was best to not pay attention to the strange girl who was now descending the grand staircase at full speed.

"Shizuka!" Erika called as she reached the bottom of the steps, her tone of voice none too pleased. "Shizuka Todo, where are you?"

"What's wrong?" Shizuka asked as she stepped into the main hallway from one of the many rooms on the first floor, her features drawn up in concern over her friend's frantic state.

"Why did you let me sleep so late?" Erika replied, the volume of her voice considerably lower. "It's almost two in the afternoon!"

"I figured with the time difference, you could use the extra rest."

"But... But..." Erika stammered, trying to think of something to say. Shizuka had a valid point. She'd lost a good deal of time traveling from Paris to Tokyo and she had been utterly exhausted. "But I'm a guest, and it's rude to your host to sleep in so late."

Shizuka laughed and walked over to Erika, surprising her when she gave her a hug.

"You needn't worry about that, Erika," she assured her. "When I first started traveling back and forth, I used to sleep in late, too. I'm just used to the jet lag now. And by the way," she added, lowering her voice. "You may want to actually _close up_ that robe you're wearing."

Shizuka released her, and Erika looked down at herself. In her rush to find her friend, she had forgotten to tie the sash of the robe she was wearing, and it hung open to reveal the short satin nightgown Shizuka had provided for her the night before. Blushing, she quickly pulled the robe shut in front and hastily tied the sash in a firm knot around her waist.

"It's too bad the F4 weren't here to see that," Shizkua remarked with a teasing wink, causing Erika's cheeks to burn even brighter.

"The F4... Isn't that the group of boys you grew up with?" Shuzkua nodded in reply. "Wh-why would you want _them_ to see me like this?"

"No reason," Shizuka replied before heading back to the dining room. "Are you hungry? I had the chef prepare some of your favorite sandwiches."

Erika remained standing in the foyer for a moment, wondering if she had just imagined the satisfied smirk on the other woman's lips, then followed her host to the dining room.

"_Ho-ly_..." she exclaimed as she entered the room and found a table that was easily big enough to seat at least forty people. The entire surface was covered by a single lace tablecloth, and while there were chairs to seat an entire house full of guests, only two of them had place settings before them.

"Do you_always _eat in here?" Erika asked from the doorway, once again too overcome with the extravagance of Shizuka's lifestyle.

"Not always," Shizuka answered, gesturing for her to take a seat in the chair next to hers. "Sometimes I'll go out on the patio overlooking the gardens when the weather is nice – like today. I just didn't want you getting lost," she teased.

"How very thoughtful of you," Erika remarked sarcastically as she sat down and looked over the spread before them. Several platters were piled high with various creations, and she counted at least three different types of soup in carafes and four distinct deserts. It wasn't modest, by any means, but she supposed to someone like Shizuka it was very modest, indeed.

"Here," Shizuka said, sliding a platter piled high with sandwiches toward her. "I helped the chef make them, so I hope they're right: Turkey with cranberry sauce and lettuce, light on the mayo."

"You didn't have to," Erika insisted as she picked up one of the sandwiches and took a bite out of the corner. She closed her eyes as she chewed slowly, making a small, appreciative sound that brought a satisfied grin to Shizkua's face.

"I take it they're right, then?"

"They're perfect," Erika assured her as she took another bite.

"Good. Eat up, because we have a busy afternoon of shopping ahead of us."

Erika opened her eyes as she swallowed, picking up a napkin from the table to blot at a dab of mayonnaise that that affixed itself to the corner of her mouth.

"I guess that means they never found my luggage."

"No, they found it," Shizuka answered, "but we're going shopping, anyway. Like I said, we need to get you a dress for the engagement party."

"And I will ask you again," Erika retorted. "_What_ engagement party?"

Shizuka smiled apologetically, taking a sip of water from her crystal goblet, then leaned closer to Erika, resting her forearms on the table.

"Remember how I told you about my friend Tsukushi?" she asked, unable to stop herself from grinning at the thought of the happy news she was telling her about.

Erika nodded slightly, speaking around a mouthful of her sandwich. "The one who was dating that immature jerk Tsukasa, right?"

"He's not an immature jerk," Shizuka defended him.

"Oh _please_," Erika argued. "The proprietor of that 'red notice' crap? I somehow seriously doubt a _mature_ person would come up with something like that."

"Fair point," Shizkua conceded. "But that was two years ago. He's grown up a lot since then. Now, as I was saying," she continued, attempting to get back on track. "Tsukasa asked her to marry him last night. She accepted, and so the others are organizing an engagement party for the two of them."

"And when is this party?"

"This coming weekend."

"I see," Erika said. "So you want me to get all fancied up and go to a party full of people I don't know less than a week after my arrival in a completely foreign country where I don't even speak the _language_, let alone know the customs."

"You'll be fine," Shizuka told her, placing a reassuring hand on her arm. "High society parties here really aren't that much different from anywhere else."

"Great," Erika muttered under her breath, grabbing her glass and taking a long drink. She had had more than her share of 'high society' to last a lifetime. Sure, Shizuka wasn't as bad as most rich people she knew, but she was the exception. Spending a night at a party full of stuffy, arrogant rich kids who constantly looked down their noses at everyone around them who _wasn't_ from a wealthy lineage was far from her idea of a good time.

"And it's not like you'll be there alone," Shizuka continued, offering her a warm smile meant to put her at ease. "I'll be there, plus Tsukushi and the F4."

"Who I've never even met," Erika pointed out.

"Yet," Shizuka corrected her, sitting back in her chair.

"Yet?"

"We're having dinner with them tonight, at Rui's house. And I believe Tsukushi's friend Yuuki will be there, too, so you'll also get the opportunity to meet her... and Tsukasa's sister, Tsubaki. And possibly Shigeru."

Erika laughed a little, nervously. "Anyone _else_?"

Shizuka paused to think for a moment. "No, I believe that's everyone."

Erika nodded, then her eyes suddenly went wide. "Wait... _Shigeru_? Isn't that the girl Tsukasa was _supposed _to be marrying?"

"Yes."

"What's she doing _here_?" Erika asked, confused.

"Tsukasa invited her." Shizuka laughed at the even more hopelessly confused look on her face and decided further explanation was in order. "She _is_friends with Tsukushi, after all, and he wanted to try to make amends by renewing talks with her family concerning the potential merger of their corporations."

"It's moments like this that I'm reminded exactly how far apart the two worlds we live in are," Erika remarked, laughing when Shizuka tossed a napkin at her. "Really, though, Shizuka... You sound like my ex-boyfriend's father when you talk like that, about stuff like 'potential mergers of corporations'," she added in a mock haughty tone.

"I sound nothing like that," Shizuka insisted, laughing.

"I know," Erika admitted. "I was just trying to make a point."

"Point taken," Shizuka said, glancing at the clock on the wall behind Erika. "Eat up, we're due to be at the Hitachiin Boutique in less than an hour."

"Less than an hour?" Erika exclaimed. "But I need to take a shower and get dressed yet!"

"Then you'd better hurry," Shizuka told her, unable to keep from smiling.

"This is _exactly_ why you shouldn't have let me sleep in," Erika scolded her as she stood up, grabbing the sandwich from her plate and rushing from the dining room as she continued eating.

"Sorry," Shizuka called after her, laughing.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I just wanted to say that while a certain part of this chapter may be a bit confusing right now, it'll all be explained later and make perfect sense. Enjoy!

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><p><span>Chapter Three<span>

The Hitachiin Boutique was located in the heart of the Ginza shopping district, and like most other things she had experienced thus far during her trip, Erika found it to be an overly extravagant shop. The moment they set foot inside, she and Shizuka were approached by two stuffy female store clerks in matching black suits. The clerks welcomed them and led them through the shop, past dozens of racks of designer outfits, each one completely unique. Erika grabbed the tag on one of the dresses as they walked past, glancing down quickly at the price and nearly choking on her own saliva when she saw that it cost more than a year's rent of her apartment back in Paris.

"Here we are," Shizuka said, clapping her hands together excitedly as they entered a private dressing room at the back of the boutique. "Now, let's see if we can't find the perfect gown for you."

Erika opened her mouth to protest, but Shizuka cut her off, saying something to the other two women in Japanese as she all but shoved Erika at them. The women nodded and led her into a curtained dressing area, where they took her measurements before leaving her alone – taking her clothes with them so she couldn't escape.

"Did you tell them to not let me run?" Erika shouted so that Shizuka could hear her in the waiting area outside.

"Yes, I did," Shizuka replied as she began following the two store clerks. "I know how much you hate dressing up, so I felt it was necessary to take extra precautions. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go pick your dress."

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><p>Erika stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror in the dressing area of the boutique, her face scrunched up in distaste as she examined the dress Shizuka had selected for her. It was a nice enough dress – a sleek, floor-length, halter-style gown with rhinestone accents at the waist – but the color leaved something to be desired.<p>

"What's wrong?" Shizuka asked, sipping her tea as she watched from a chaise lounge nearby.

"It's red," Erika pointed out.

"So?"

"I'll stick out like a sore thumb. Which, quite frankly, I'm going to do _anyway_ considering the fact that I'm a _gaijin_, but can we please find a dress that makes it a little _less_ obvious?" she pleaded.

"Very well," Shizuka conceded. Erika returned to the dressing room as she gave new orders to the clerks, and waited patiently for the next dress to arrive. When it did, she couldn't help but scrunch up her nose at it a bit, but put it on without complaint before stepping back into the main area of the room.

"What's wrong with this one?" Shizuka asked when she saw the sour expression that was contorting her friend's features.

"No way in hell," Erika stated sternly.

"Oh, come on," Shizuka argued. "I think it looks nice on you."

"It's _green_, Shizuka."

"Yes, and it brings out the flecks of green in your eyes," she pointed out.

"Are we going to a _Christmas_ party?" Erika asked her, annoyed.

"Well, no..."

"Then I'm not wearing this dress. _No _redhead should wear a green dress unless it's Christmas. Especially not one this frilly," she added, gesturing to the bunched layers of the skirt.

"Fine," Shizuka sighed, standing up and walking over to the rack of dresses she had grabbed as potential candidates for Erika's perfect look. She had initially selected them with Rui in mind, focusing more on finding something that would keep his attention through the evening, but now it was quite apparent that she was going to have to put his needs after Erika's if she wanted the girl to even set foot in the party to begin with.

"Try this one," she suggested after a brief deliberation, pulling a strapless ice blue satin gown with a slight bustle off the rack and handing it to her. Erika sighed and retreated to the changing area, and Shizuka returned to her seat, picking up her tea cup once more.

Nearly five minutes later, Erika finally reemerged into the dressing room, causing Shizuka's hand to still with her cup halfway to her lips. The gown fit her perfectly, accentuating her small waist and showing just the right amount of cleavage. The color matched her eyes, making them seem bigger, and was pale enough to make her naturally fair skin look a bit rosier. She was surprised when Erika had no complaints, instead looking a bit nervous as she moved to stand in front of the mirror.

"How do I look?" she asked a bit self-consciously, running her hands down the front of the dress to smooth out any wrinkles.

"Like a princess," Shizuka assured her with a smile, taking a sip of her tea before setting the cup down and getting up to move closer and get a better look. "Although," she added, tilting her head slightly as she looked at Erika's reflection in the mirror. She then turned to one of the clerks and said something to her in Japanese. The clerk nodded and moved closer to Erika, placing a hand down the front of the dress in between her breasts, and Erika yelped, smacking the woman's hand away as her cheeks flushed.

"_What _did you say to her?" she demanded, turning to Shizuka, who was doing her best to suppress her laughter.

"I told her I thought you could use a little... boost," Shizuka said with a small shrug of her shoulders.

"I am fully capable of doing that _myself_, thank you," Erika told her, her cheeks growing even redder. Sighing deeply, she reached into the top of the dress and adjusted her breasts. "Great, now I feel like I'm going to fall out of this thing."

"You'll be fine," Shizuka assured her. "We'll style your hair, you can wear some of my jewelry, and you'll be the most stunning girl at the party."

"But isn't this party for Tsukushi and Tsukasa?" Erika asked. "_They_ should be the center of attention, not me."

"Believe me, they'll welcome the diversion. Tsukushi will, at any rate. She hates being the center of attention."

"And what about her attention-whore boyfriend?"

"He'll live if he's not the topic of everyone's conversations for _one_night. Now come on, we have more shopping to do," Shizuka ordered as she began making her way back out to the main shop.

"But... I thought we decided on _this_ dress?"

"We did."

"So we should be _done_ shopping, right?"

"No, we're going to pick out some new outfits for your daily wear, too," Shizuka informed her.

"What's wrong with the clothes I already _have_?" Erika protested.

"You hardly brought any dresses or skirts with you."

"So? You know that's not exactly my style, Shizuka."

"I know," Shizuka said, "but there's a saying: A girl should try to look cute when she visits a foreign land, because she never knows when love may be right around the corner."

"You're making that up," Erika accused. "I've never heard that before."

"It's a Japanese saying," Shizuka countered, smirking in satisfaction. She had, in fact, just made it up, but there was no way for her to really know that.

"I don't care," Erika stated, crossing her arms over her chest. "I didn't come to Japan for you to play dress-up doll with me, you know. Besides, if I _do_ meet a guy while I'm here, I want him to like me for who I am, not because of some phony exterior you've forced upon me."

"Fair enough," Shizuka replied with a nod. "But just let me pick out_one_ day dress for you, okay? Please?"

Erika tried to glare at the other woman, but she couldn't say no to the almost hopefully pleading look in her eyes. Sighing, she turned away, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"_One_ dress."

Shizuka nodded and exited the dressing room, returning not even a minute later with her hands behind her back.

"That was quick," Erika observed, blinking in surprise.

"Turn around," Shizuka ordered, gesturing for her to turn back toward the mirror. Erika raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but complied with her demand, turning to face the full-length mirror once more. Grinning, Shizuka came up behind her and pulled the dress from behind her back, holding it up in front of her.

Erika's eyes went wide at the reflection. The dress Shizuka was holding up in front of her was simple, much simpler than anything else she had seen in the entire boutique, made of white cotton with a small floral print of pink roses embroidered into the skirt and cap sleeves. She couldn't be sure because the dress she had on came down to the floor, but she was almost positive that the length of the skirt would reach her mid-calves when worn.

"How did you?" she asked quietly, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"The designer owed me a favor," Shizuka explained. "I filled in for one of her models at the last minute once, even though I was sick. I faxed over a copy of that picture you showed me, and she used it as a reference. I know it's probably not exactly the same, but..."

"No," Erika said, shaking her head. "It's perfect. It's exactly like I remember. Thank you."

Shizuka smiled, reaching over and pulling some of Erika's hair in front of her shoulders. "You know, you really do look a lot like her."

Erika nodded, a couple of tears falling free as she blinked, and Shizuka handed her a tissue.

"You know," she said, sniffling a little as she dabbed at her eyes. "Maybe I _could_ stand to have a couple of new outfits. Nothing _too_ girlie, though," she added, pointing a warning finger at Shizuka.

"Understood," Shizuka agreed, smiling.

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><p>"Shizuka, aren't we done yet?" Erika complained, lagging several steps behind the older woman as they walked down the sidewalk. They had been shopping all afternoon, going to two shoe stores and a jewelry emporium after leaving the Hitachiin Boutique, and she was beginning to get tired.<p>

"One more place, and we can go home," Shizuka informed her.

"It had better not be another shoe store," Erika groaned. "Seriously, I don't understand how you can be so obsessed with shoes. How many pairs do you have now, anyway?"

"Including the ones I just bought today?" She paused to think. "Almost seventy."

"That's sixty-seven too many, in my book."

Shizuka laughed. "Well, this next place we're going to isn't a shoe store. Actually, I think you'll rather enjoy it," she commented, turning her head to grin mischievously at her companion.

"Oh goodie," Erika muttered, not really convinced.

"Here we are," Shizuka stated, suddenly stopping.

Erika turned to look at the store she was about to be dragged into and furrowed her brow in confusion. The window displays were blessedly free of footwear, but they also didn't appear to have any other fashion paraphernalia in them, either.

"What's this?" she asked, turning back to Shizuka.

"It's an art supply shop," Shizuka informed her with a wink. Erika playfully smacked her shoulder.

"You brat! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise. You didn't _really_ think I would make you go all summer without being able to practice your craft, did you? Actually, I was going to have some things waiting for you when you arrived, but when I came here myself I was so overwhelmed and I had no idea what you would require, so I figured it would be best to just bring you here and let you make your own selections."

Erika smiled and rushed into the store with the eagerness of a child who had been let loose in an amusement park, and Shizuka laughed at the sudden change from her previously grouchy attitude. She was about to follow her inside when someone called her name, and she began looking around to find out who had addressed her.

"Shizuka!" Tsubaki called her name again, waving as she hurried over to her. "How have you been? I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Silly, you saw me last night at the prom," Shizuka reminded her.

"Well, yes... but we didn't really get to talk, did we?" Tsubaki clarified, pushing her hair back behind her shoulder and adjusting the strap of the shopping bag on her shoulder. "What are you doing this far down the strip, anyway?"

"I was just bringing a friend here to do some shopping," Shizuka replied, gesturing toward the art supply shop.

"Ah, and would this be the girl you were telling me about before?" Tsubaki asked, craning her neck to try to catch a glimpse of the girl in question inside the shop.

"Yes, it would," Shizuka said, nodding. "Come here." She began walking toward the entrance of the shop, gesturing for the other woman to follow. Tsubaki kept close to her, readjusting her shopping bags once more, and followed Shizuka's line of sight as she pointed to a red-haired girl wearing denim shorts and a pale yellow tank top who was comparing tubes of paint.

"That's her."

"She's sort of plain," Tsubaki commented, keeping her voice down so the girl wouldn't notice them spying on her.

"That's just because of the way she's dressed," Shizuka pointed out. "She can really be quite stunning, when she puts some effort into it. Besides, Tsukushi is plain, and Rui fell for her."

"Rui also fell for _you_, and you're _far_ from plain," Tsubaki reminded her.

"I don't think looks really matter, to him," Shizuka said, desperate to change the subject. "What he craves is more of an emotional connection."

"And you really think this girl is the right one for him?" Tsubaki asked, unconvinced.

Shizuka nodded, a determined look in her eyes.

"I'm positive."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: The F4 finally make their entrances in this chapter. I know you all have probably been waiting for this. You also get to find out Erika's last name in this chapter, which I took from the lead singer of one of my all-time favorite rock bands.

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><p><span>Chapter Four<span>

Erika fidgeted in the back seat of the limo, straightening her top as she gazed nervously out the tinted window at the large mansions they were passing on their way to the Hanazawa estate. By the time she and Shizuka had gotten back from their afternoon of shopping, they only had half an hour to get ready before the car came to pick them up to take them to Rui's home for dinner. Erika had spent most of that time setting up her new easel and arranging the paints she had gotten at the art supply shop, but when Shizuka came to check on her ten minutes before they were to leave, she had no choice but to change into the outfit that was chosen for her in spite of her protests. There was no time to argue, Shizuka had said, and even insisted that Erika wear at least a modest amount of makeup.

"Remember what I told you earlier," she had said when Erika tried to put up a fight. "You never know when you'll meet the man of your dreams."

"I somehow sincerely doubt I'm going to find him within the F4," Erika had retorted. "No offense. I know they're your friends, but from the stories you've told me..." She left it at that, but her facial expression alone was enough to let Shizuka know how she felt.

"Don't be so nervous," Shizuka told her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Erika turned away from the window and managed a weak smile.

"I'm not nervous," she lied. "I just don't know why you're insisting on dragging me to this little reunion when I don't know anyone there."

"I _told_ you," Shizuka replied, "It will be easier for you to get to know everyone in a more intimate setting rather than at the engagement party."

"I just don't understand _why_ I have to get to know _anybody_," Erika argued. "They're _your_ friends, not mine."

"That's _precisely_ why I want you to get to know them. They're my friends, and so are you. Doesn't it make sense for me to want the lot of you to get along?"

"But they're a bunch of spoiled rich kids," Erika pointed out. "No offense to you, Shizuka, but you know how I feel about people like that."

"I know," Shizuka sighed. "But please trust me when I say that they're nothing like what you've made them out to be in your mind. Besides, only the F4 are spoiled rich kids. Tsukushi and Yuki are commoners."

Erika frowned a bit, slouching in the seat, but made no further argument. If there was one thing she had learned first-hand about Shizuka, it was that the woman was as stubborn as she was and didn't like taking no for an answer when she felt she was right about something – which she usually was.

"We're here," Shizuka informed her, pointing out the window. Erika hadn't even noticed the car coming to a stop.

Sitting up straight, she looked out the window at the large mansion before them. It seemed slightly smaller than the one Shizuka lived in, but it was difficult to tell for certain from the outside.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Shizuka urged as the driver opened Erika's door. "Go on, I'll be right behind you."

Erika hesitated a moment, then got out of the car, thanking the driver as she moved aside to let Shizuka exit the limo behind her. Shizuka climbed out with a sigh, telling her driver that she would call for him when they were ready to return home, then walked up the steps to the front door. Erika followed a few steps behind, quietly fussing with the skirt Shizuka had insisted she wear. When they reached the door, Shizuka didn't bother knocking, instead simply opening the door and walking inside. Erika was surprised at her forwardness, but then remembered that she and Rui had always been very close since they were children, and his parents considered her practically a member of the family.

"Hello?" Shizuka called out to the large foyer as Erika closed the front door behind them. "We're here."

"About damn time!" came a masculine voice, followed by the sound of several pairs of footsteps. One of them was especially insistent, and a second sounded as if they were hurrying to catch up with the first, while the rest sounded like they were following at a more leisurely pace.

"Domyouji, stop being so rude!" a female voice demanded sternly as the group continued to come closer to their location.

A set of double doors opened at the opposite end of the foyer and a young man with unruly curls came marching out in a superior manner, followed closely by a rather plain-looking girl who was dressed in much simpler clothes than her companion.

"I'm sorry, Shizuka," the girl blurted out as the boy opened his mouth to say something. "He's in one of his moods today," she added, jabbing an elbow into his ribs and earning herself a glare from him. "You know how he gets."

"Yes, I do," Shizuka replied, smiling as she nodded. "Very well, in fact."

"Well, well... What have we here?" asked another young man with black hair falling just into his eyes, grinning as he approached Erika and took one of her hands in his, bowing down to bestow a kiss on the backs of her fingers. "Enchante, mademoiselle." Erika noticed another girl had entered the foyer not far behind him, and was currently looking a bit dismayed at the gesture he bestowed upon her.

"Shizuka, you should warn us when you're going to bring a pretty girl to one of our little get-togethers," said a third young man, whose dark brown hair fell in soft waves down to his shoulders, winking at Erika as he went to stand next to her. "I could have brought her a bouquet of flowers from my mother's garden, though their beauty would have paled in comparison."

Erika turned bright red at the way the two men were fawning over her, but the plain girl merely rolled her eyes at their antics.

"You two never quit, do you?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ah!" the curly-haired boy exclaimed, turning to her. "Are you jealous, Makino? Shall I kiss your hands?" He attempted to take one of her hands in his, but she pulled it out of his grasp and smacked him over the head with it.

"Dumbass," she muttered under her breath as he rubbed his head where she hit him, pouting like a child who had just been scolded by his mother.

Shizuka cleared her throat loudly, drawing everyone's attention back to her, and smiled once she was sure they were all back on the same page.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce you to my friend, Erika Tyler. She will be spending the summer with me. It's her first time in Japan, so please do your best to make her feel welcome. Erika, I would like you to meet-"

"Let me guess," Erika said, cutting her off as she pulled her hand out of the grasp of the young man who was still bowing before her. "The mop-top who likes to complain is Tsukasa Domyoji, while the sensible young woman at his side is Tsukushi Makino. And these two _charmers_ must be Soujiroh Nishikado and Akira Mimasaka," she concluded, looking at each of them in turn. "As for you," she added, looking at the other girl, who looked like she just wanted to dive under a rug. "You must be Tsukushi's friend that Shizuka mentioned. Yuki, was it?"

"Yes," Yuki replied, nodding slightly. "Yuki Matsuoka. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you all, as well," Erika replied, smiling politely. "But, um... Where's the master of the house?" she asked, turning to Shizuka.

"Yes, where _is_ Rui?" Shizuka echoed, placing her hands on her hips as she looked around.

"Probably upstairs moping," Soujiroh muttered under his breath. Akira nudged him a bit, glaring slightly at him.

"What was that?" Shizuka asked, taking a step closer to the two of them.

Soujiroh cleared his throat. "I said, I think he's upstairs in his room, reading."

"I think he was just waiting for you to arrive, Shizuka," Akira added, giving her his most charming smile. "Why don't you go on upstairs and get him?"

"I think I will," Shizuka announced. Akira and Soujiroh returned their attention to Erika, but were interrupted when Shizuka grabbed her hand and pulled her away from them. "Come on, Erika, you can come with me."

Erika nearly tripped over her own feet as Shizuka hurriedly pulled her away from the others, leading her up the grand staircase. She had to walk quickly to keep up with the taller woman's long strides, and found herself wondering why Shizuka seemed to be angry.

"Why did you insist on me coming with you?" she asked once they were out of earshot of the others. Shizuka stopped walking and turned to face her, lowering her voice as she spoke.

"You remember what I told you about those two, right?"

"Of course," Erika replied, nodding.

"I just don't want to see you fall victim to their charms."

"I think I'm a bit too young for Akira's tastes," Erika reminded her, laughing.

"But not for Soujiroh," Shizuka pointed out.

"Shizuka," Erika sighed. "Do you_really_ think I would fall for any of his lines? Honestly, I thought you knew me better than that."

"I do," Shizuka assured her. "But he can be _very_ sneaky when it comes to getting what he wants from women. Just trust me when I say this is for your own good, alright?"

"Alright," Erika conceded, nodding.

Shizuka smiled slightly and released her hand, then continued at a more leisurely pace down the hallway. Erika still felt like she was on edge, but decided against asking her what was wrong. If she wanted to share, she would.

"Here we are," Shizuka stated as they stopped before a set of white doors. She knocked quietly before pushing one of them open and stepping inside, Erika following her silently.

The entire room was dark, save for the moonlight coming in through the windows along the far wall. Erika looked around as she allowed her eyes to adjust to the sudden dimness, taking in the décor. It was a large room, but rather sparsely furnished. There were two chairs and a table near the windows, a bed in the center of the room with a loveseat at the end, and a fireplace in the wall farthest from the door. The only real extravagance was the grand piano that sat opposite the bed.

"Rui?" Shizuka called, drawing Erika's attention away from her surroundings and toward the windows, where Shizuka was heading.

Seated in the center window was a young man with light brown hair, reading a book by the light of the moon. His book was propped on one of his long legs, the other stretched out before him, and he appeared to be half-asleep.

"Rui?" Shizuka repeated, moving even closer to him. Rui finally looked up from his reading, a smile slowly crossing his lips as he closed the book and set it aside before standing and stretching lazily.

"Shizuka," he greeted her, going to her and bending down to kiss her on each cheek. "I'm sorry, I must have lost track of time."

"It's okay," Shizuka replied, giving him an understanding smile. "Come here, there's someone I want you to meet."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him along to the center of the room, where Erika had been watching the exchange between them, and stepped aside once they reached her, leaving Rui facing her directly.

"Rui, this is my friend, Erika Tyler," she introduced them. "Erika, _this_ is Rui Hanazawa."

"It's nice to meet you," Rui said, holding his hand out to her. Erika gave him her hand and he slowly bent down, kissing the backs of her fingers like Soujiroh had, except his eyes never left hers. The intimacy of the gesture caused her to blush, and she stammered slightly before finding her voice again.

"It... It's nice to meet you, as well," she stuttered. "Shizuka has told me a lot about you."

"Nothing bad, I hope?" Rui asked as he straightened his posture, flashing a boyish smile.

"No," Erika assured him, shaking her head fervently, her heart pounding in her ears. She looked down to hide the growing redness in her cheeks and was surprised to find that he was still holding onto her hand. "No, she speaks quite highly of you. Which is more than I can say for some of your friends," she added, thinking of the warning Shizuka had just given her. Rui laughed as he finally let go of her hand.

"You must be talking about Soujiroh and Akira," he stated, still smiling. "Shizuka has never approved of their philandering ways – especially Akira's."

"It's one thing to break girls' hearts, but to break up _marriages_," Shizuka said, her tone highly disapproving. "That's an entirely different matter."

Erika had almost forgotten the other woman's presence in the room until she spoke, and she quickly pulled herself together, turning away from Rui to address her friend.

"How many marriages are we talking, here?" she asked curiously.

"Is it fifteen now?" Shizuka asked Rui, in return.

"Closer to twenty, I think." Rui replied. "I can't really keep track any more. Why don't we ask him over dinner?" he suggested as he began making his way toward the door.

"Come on, Shizuka," he added, pausing in the doorway and offering her his arm. "I'll escort you downstairs."

Shizuka laughed and went to him, hooking her arm through his and allowing him to lead her out of the room and down the hall. Erika watched them for a moment before following silently. Shizuka had told her that Rui was especially close to her, so it shouldn't have been surprising that he would pay special attention to her. But for some reason, she couldn't help feeling like Tsukushi's friend had earlier – like she wanted to crawl under a rug and disappear.

What bothered her more, though, was that she even felt that way at all.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Erika followed Shizuka and Rui at a distance, not really paying attention to what was being said between them. Instead, her focus was on Rui's actions. It was enough that he had offered her his arm when they left the room, but his eyes never left her the entire time they were walking down the hallway toward the stairs. Not for the first time, Erika felt a pang of jealousy toward the older woman coursing through her body. Sighing a bit to herself, she tore her attention away from them and instead examined some of the artwork on the walls. Like Shizuka's house, this one sported some well-selected pieces to match the décor, though the works on display at Shizuka's mansion were more modern.

"Erika?" Shizuka called, stopping her in her tracks. Erika looked up to find she and Rui had disappeared. Turning back, she found that she had been so lost in observing the paintings that she had completely walked past the staircase and traveled further down the hall. Blushing in embarrassment, she hurried back toward the staircase, finding the two of them standing halfway down the stairs, staring up at her. Shizuka was smiling kindly, while Rui just looked at her sort of blankly. Clearing her throat, she mumbled an apology and quickly descended the stairs, hurrying past them to wait at the bottom with the others.

"Something must be distracting the poor girl," Soujiroh said as he went over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Daydreaming about me?"

"Well, it's good to see _someone_ isn't full of himself," Erika replied sarcastically, shrugging his arm off her shoulders. Soujiroh pouted a little, causing Akira to laugh and slap him on the back, and Erika shook her head at the two of them as she turned to Tsukushi and Tsukasa to ask if he ever gave up – and stopped short when she noticed someone else was standing with them. She was tall, with long dark hair, and appeared to be about the same age as Shizuka, perhaps a year or two older.

"You must be Erika," the woman said, extending a hand as she walked toward her. "Shizuka has told me so much about you."

"Oi, you knew she was coming?" Tsukasa asked her in a demanding tone. "Why didn't you tell me, _Nee-chan_?"

She turned back to him, placing a hand on her hip. "Because you don't have to know _everything_, Tsukasa."

"He _doesn't_ know everything. He just _thinks_ he does," Tsukushi remarked, earning herself a withering glare from her boyfriend, which she completely ignored.

"And you would be?" Erika asked as she extended her hand in greeting, hoping she didn't come across as rude for posing her question in such a manner.

"Ah!" the woman exclaimed, turning back to her and giving her hand a polite shake. "I am Tsubaki Domyouji. That mouthy brat is my little brother," she added, pointing over her shoulder to Tsukasa.

"Well, since everyone is here now, why don't we make our way to the dining room?" Rui suggested as he and Shizuka stepped off the bottom step together.

"Aren't we still missing Shigeru?" Shizuka asked.

"She's not going to be able to make it," Tsukasa informed her. "Some last-minute family business thing. She had to fly back to New York right away."

"She promised to be back for the engagement party, though," Tsukushi interjected.

"Hey! I was about to say that!" Tsukasa complained.

"Tough, I beat you to it," Tsukushi shot back, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Now, now, kids... Play nice, or you won't get any dessert," Akira said as he began ushering everyone toward the dining room.

Erika stayed toward the back of the group, feeling a bit out of place among them. They all appeared to be such good friends that it made her feel like a third wheel – or, in this case, a ninth wheel. As they neared the dining room, she realized she wasn't the only one lagging behind the others. Tsukushi's friend Yuki was straggling along right beside her, her eyes downcast as she twisted a bracelet around one wrist. Erika hesitated a moment, then she took a step closer to the other girl, lowering her voice so the others couldn't overhear her.

"You like Soujiroh, don't you?" she asked. Yuki looked up, her eyes wide, and Erika laughed quietly.

"I-is is that obvious?" Yuki stammered, her cheeks turning a pale pink.

"Yeah, it is," Erika told her, giving her a friendly smile. "Look, don't worry about him hitting on me. Even if I flirt back, he's _so_ not my type. So you don't have any competition from me."

"Thank you, Erika-san," Yuki whispered back, bowing slightly.

"No problem," Erika assured her, winking at her as they finally reached the dining room.

Erika walked over to the large table, taking her time to let the others seat themselves before deciding on where she would sit. As the host, she assumed Rui would take the place at the head of the table, and it didn't surprise her when Shizuka opted for one of the seats closest to the end. Rui helped her with her chair, and she whispered something in his ear before sitting down. Rui nodded in reply, then circled the table to the chair across from Shizuka, pulling it out and standing there expectantly as he looked at Erika.

"Me?" Erika asked, pointing to herself, and instantly felt like a fool for even asking. _Of course, you, moron. He's looking right __**at**_ _you_, she chided herself before going over to where he was standing to take her seat.

"Thank you," she told him quietly as she sat and he carefully placed the chair under her.

"You're such a gentleman, Hanazawa Rui," Tsukushi said as she started to pull out the chair next to Shizuka. Tsukasa stopped her, though, grabbing the top of the chair himself.

"I can be a gentleman too, you know," he told her, proudly puffing out his chest. Tsukushi gave him a disbelieving look, but let go of the chair and gestured for him to go ahead. Tsukasa pulled the chair all the way out from under the table for her with a flourish, bowing deeply to her, and Tsukushi grimaced in embarrassment as she sat down. Tsukasa them pushed her chair in so far that she ended up with the edge of the table embedded in her stomach.

"Domyouji!" she yelled. "Can I _please_ have some room to breathe?"

"Oh, sure," Tsukasa replied, pulling the chair out a little to give her some more room between the table and her rib cage. "Better?"

"Yes, thank you."

Tsukasa sat next to her, and Tsubaki – who was stifling a laugh with the back of her hand – took a seat next to her brother. Akira sat across from Tsubaki, sticking his fingers into his water glass and splashing Tsukasa for his idiocy. Yuki sat next to Akira, blushing furiously when Soujiroh helped her with her chair, and Soujiroh took the final seat... which happened to be between her and Erika. Erika looked down at her place setting to avoid looking at him and unconsciously started to reverse her silverware as the kitchen staff began bringing out the food. Noticing her quirky behavior, Soujiroh leaned closer to her.

"_Ano_... Erika-san? What exactly are you doing?"

Erika stopped midway through transferring her forks to the right side of her plate and immediately began putting them back where they had been, worried that she had offended them all by forgetting her manner.

"Sorry," she apologized without looking up at them. "Force of habit."

"Are you, by chance, left-handed?" Soujiroh asked, smiling at how cute she looked when she was flustered.

"Yeah," Erika replied as she finished replacing the silverware in their original positions.

"Rui's left-handed, too," Shizuka informed her. Erika looked up across the table at her, and Shizuka nodded slightly, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Ah! That means you're both south poles!" Tsukasa exclaimed excitedly.

"_What?_" Tsukushi asked, her face scrunching up. "You mean south_paws_."

"That's what I said," Tsukasa admonished her. "South pauls."

"Oh forget it," Tsukushi gave up, throwing her hands up in defeat. Erika laughed at their bantering, glad for the distraction from her little faux pas.

"But yes," Shizuka continued. "Rui is also left-handed."

"You know what they say about left-handed people, right?" Akira asked, leaning forward slightly so he could address Erika. "That they're supposed to be creative types? Well, it's true."

"Is is now?" Erika asked, smiling. As far as she knew, none of them knew about her art – except for possibly Tsubaki, who Shizuka had apparently spoken to about her.

"Hanazawa Rui is a very talented musician," Tsukushi stated. "He plays piano _and_ violin."

"Please, guys, you're embarrassing me," Rui pleaded, laughing as he began to blush.

"So, if that is the case," Soujiroh said in a sultry voice, draping his arm across the back of Erika's chair, "I wonder what _your_ talent is."

Erika turned to him, smirking as she decided to have a little fun with him.

"Maybe you should come by Shizuka's place sometime and I'll show you,_personally_," she purred back, running a hand down the front of his shirt.

Soujiroh blinked in surprise at her forwardness, then laughed as he sat back in his chair once more. Erika looked across the table and winked at Shizuka, who was biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing, then leaned back slightly and looked down the table at a rather distraught-looking Yuki, mouthing the words _I'm messing with him_. Yuki nodded slightly, smiling weakly at her before returning her attention to the plate in front of her.

"Well, the food is here," Rui announced, gesturing to the numerous platters that had been placed on the table by the kitchen staff. "So why don't we eat before it gets cold, _ne_?"

The others agreed with him, and a chorus of _itadakimasu_ rang out from around the table. Erika even joined in, remembering what Shizuka had told her about some of the customs in Japan. She glanced at Shizuka, who gave her a thumbs up, and smiled proudly as she tried to decide which of the dishes she should try first.

"Erika, how about this one?" Tsubaki suggested, passing a platter of steamed crab legs to her. "I hear they're your favorite."

"Just_how much_ have you told this woman about me?" Erika asked Shizuka as she took the platter from Tsubaki, giving her friend a slightly accusing look.

"Not a lot," Shizuka assured her. "We just happened to be having crab legs at a dinner one night and I mentioned they made me think of you because you love them so much. And I requested Rui make sure we have some here tonight so you'd feel more at home."

"Where _is_ home, anyway?" Akira asked, curious.

"Well, I was _born_ in Boston," Erika answered as she selected a few crab legs and placed them on her plate before passing the platter to Soujiroh, whose hand was outstretched, waiting for them. "Then we moved to a rural town in upstate New York after my mother died."

"After your mother died?" Tsukushi asked, a little shocked by how nonchalant she was being about the subject.

Erika nodded. "She died when I was fifteen – breast cancer."

Tsukushi tilted her head slightly, still confused about how a child could be so calm when talking about the loss of a parent. Then she realized that while Erika's voice was remaining calm, her hands were shaking slightly as she worked on cracking the crab legs in front of her.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Rui told her sympathetically. Erika turned to him and managed a small smile.

"It's okay. She was really suffering, the last few months. I miss her, but I'm glad it's over."

"And what does your father do?" Akira asked innocently. Erika promptly snapped the crab leg she was holding in half, startling everyone around the table.

"He's retired," she stated simply, her tone of voice suggesting that the topic was _not_ one she was up for discussing any further.

"Uh... How did you meet Shizuka?" Tsukasa asked, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible. As someone with a notoriously volatile temper, he recognized the sings of someone who was about to snap.

"I work in the fashion industry," Erika replied, visibly relaxing once more. The other dinner guests quietly let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Are you a model?" Soujiroh asked, leaning closer to her again.

"No, I work behind the scenes."

"That's a shame," Soujiroh continued flirtatiously. "A pretty girl like you should be in _front_ of the camera."

"Do girls actually _fall_ for this crap?" Erika wondered aloud, finished with playing along.

"Yes, unfortunately," Shizuka answered, giving Soujiroh a disapproving look as she took a sip from her water glass.

"I was being sincere," Soujiroh insisted.

"Oh please," Erika threw back, turning to look at him. "Your lines are about as sincere as a letter of apology from Charles Manson."

"Who?"

"Cult leader in California in the 1960s," Rui answered for her. "Responsible for several murders, never showed any remorse for it."

Erika looked surprised that he knew what she was talking about, and Rui smiled at her.

"He's the smart one," Soujiroh told her, laughing a bit. "Always been at the top of the class."

"I see," Erika replied. She couldn't help but return Rui's smile, but she also noticed Shizuka smiling at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Enough about me, though," she said, turning to Tsukushi and Tsukasa. "I hear you two are getting married."

Tsukushi quickly swallowed, nodding her head. "Yes, we are."

"I asked her in front of the whole school," Tsukasa bragged.

"So where's her ring, Mr. Proposal-of-the-Century?" Erika asked him.

Tsukasa's eyes looked they were about to pop out of his head as he suddenly realized that he had completely forgotten about getting Tsukushi an engagement ring.

"It's okay," Tsukushi told him in a soothing voice, placing one of her hands on his. "I don't need a ring."

"Yes, you do!" Tsukasa insisted, almost angrily. "You are to be _my_ wife. And my wife will have the biggest, most extravagant engagement ring in all of Japan!" He jumped up from the table, preparing to go out and find the perfect ring for her, but his sister grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled him back down into his chair.

"Tsukasa, of Tsukushi-chan doesn't _want_ a ring, you shouldn't waste money on one," she scolded him. "You really do need to learn to listen more to her needs if you want to be a good husband."

Erika laughed with the others as Tsukasa slumped down in his chair, defeated. Everyone seemed nice enough, even if their lives were far from normal. She sincerely hoped, though, that it wasn't all just for show.

* * *

><p>The rest of the evening went smoothly, aside from the occasional bickering from the bride-and-groom-to-be. Everyone assured her, however, that they truly <em>were<em> deeply in love even if they didn't act like it most of the time.

By the time dessert had rolled around, she had learned more about them than what Shizuka had told her. Akira had two younger sisters – twins – and a mother who acted as much like a little girl as they did. Soujiroh only stood as next in line to inherit his family's tea dynasty because his older brother left the family to pursue a career in medicine. Yuki and Tsukushi had known each other since elementary school, and still worked together part-time at a dango shop – a fact that Tsukasa voiced his displeasure over, rather loudly, saying that no woman of his should his should ever have to work. The comment had earned him the seventh smack of the night upside his head from Tsukushi. Tsubaki had been forced into a marriage of convenience by her mother, but was now content in her life with her husband.

But out of all of them, she had learned the most about Rui – mostly because Shizuka couldn't stop talking about him and bragging about his accomplishments all night long. It had amused Erika at first, and he had looked absolutely adorable when he blushed every time Shizuka brought up another story about him from their childhood together, but as the night went on she began to feel sorry for the poor boy, constantly being put in the spotlight like that.

When it came time for them to leave, Shizuka called her driver to come pick them up and they waited quietly on the front steps with Rui. Everyone else had already gone home, but not before the guys had agreed to take Tsukasa out for a "proper" congratulatory celebration. Tsukushi has warned him that there better not be any strippers involved, and both Akira and Soujiroh had called her a spoilsport for it.

As the three of them stood together outside of Rui's house, Erika couldn't help but notice that Shizuka was once again constantly looking behind her at Rui and smiling. She wanted to say something to the older woman but kept her mouth shut, deciding to wait until they were in the privacy of the limo before confronting her about her infatuation with the young man.

When the limo pulled up in front of them, Rui opened the door for them and held a hand out to help them climb inside. Erika went first, deciding to give the two of them a little private time to say their goodbyes, thanking him for the wonderful evening. He bowed and kissed the back of her hand, telling her he enjoyed meeting her, and helped her into the back seat before turning to Shizuka.

"It was good to get to spend some time with you again," he told her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too," Shizuka replied with a smile, kissing his cheek in return. "We'll see you at the party this weekend."

Rui nodded and helped her into the back seat, as well, then closed the door to the limo and waved at them as they drove off, waiting until the car pulled out of the driveway before heading back into the house.

"Well?" Shizuka asked, turning to Erika.

"Well what?" Erika said, blinking in confusion.

"What did you think?"

Erika nodded. "I think they seem like nice people."

"And?" Shizuka prompted.

Erika sighed, turning to her to give a full report of her assessment. "Tsukasa and Tsukushi are quite the couple of characters, but somehow I think they're perfect for each other. Soujiroh needs to take lessons on how to charm women with a functioning IQ over that of a boy-obsessed thirteen-year-old. I'm not entirely sure why poor Yuki is so hopelessly smitten with him. Akira seems rather mature for his age, though. And Tsubaki strikes me as the type who's both strong and sensitive toward others at the same time. Quite admirable, really, considering what she was put through by her mother."

"What about Rui?" Shizuka asked, concealing her eagerness to hear what she had to say about him.

"Rui is very sweet," Erika said. "A perfect gentleman, and intelligent, too. Not to mention cute. You're a lucky woman."

"I knew you- W-wait, huh?" Shizuka stuttered, confused.

"It's obvious that boy has it bad for you, Shizuka," she commented, looking out the window. "To be honest, I'm a bit jealous. All the guys who have ever liked me have been jerks – even the nice ones. You've got yourself a real catch."

"Rui and I... We're not... No. Never. I could _never_ date him. He's like my brother."

"Oh?" Erika asked, turning back to her with a teasing smile. "Then how come you kept making eyes at him all night?"

"I was _not_ making eyes at him all night," Shizuka insisted.

"Oh_come on_, Shizuka," Erika argued. "All night at dinner, you kept looking at him and smiling. And just now, when we were waiting for the limo, you had that same stupid grin on your face while you were looking at him."

_I was looking at __**both**__ of you, thinking how cute you two would look together_, she thought, but bit her tongue to keep from saying it out loud.

"See? Your silence says it all," Erika teased her. "Whether or not you want to admit it, Shizuka, you like him."

"If you say so," Shizuka muttered, giving up. She wanted to keep arguing, but she knew if she did, she's end up spilling the real reason she invited her to come to Japan for the summer. If Erika knew she was trying to set the two of them up, it would all be over.

And for Rui's sake – as well as Erika's – that was something she couldn't afford to let happen.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Erika groaned in protest as the shrill beeping of her travel alarm clock assaulted her ears, reaching out from the covers to blindly swat at the source of the offending noise. Her body was still adjusting to the time difference, but she had sworn to herself that she would not sleep in again like she had her first day, setting the clock she'd packed with her for 9:00 am. Even if she _was_ used to the change, she still wasn't any more of a morning person. She pressed several of the buttons on the clock, failing each time to find the one that would stop the infernal noise, and eventually gave up, instead grabbing the whole clock and throwing it across the room. Unfortunately, it was well-crafted and didn't break, and she had no choice but to get up if she ever hoped to give her ears a rest.

Groaning again, she sat up, the covers falling off her back as she sat facing the wall behind the headboard of the bed. Muttering a few choice words under her breath, she crawled to the edge of the mattress and lowered her feet to the floor, stumbling slightly as she stood and began walking over to where the alarm clock had landed. Sighing heavily, she bent down and picked up the clock, shutting off the alarm before dropping it back to the floor.

Dragging her feet a bit, she made her way to the door, picking up her robe off the chair she'd thrown it onto and struggling to shove her arms into the sleeves. Opening the door, she stepped out into the hallway and was greeted by one of the servants. He bowed politely to her, then handed her an envelope with her name on it before wordlessly heading off to continue his chores. Erika wondered how long he had been standing outside her room, waiting for her, and opened the envelope, removing the plain white card that was inside.

_Follow the yellow flowers_, read the message written on the card. Erika recognized the handwriting at Shizuka's, even in her drowsy state, and was utterly perplexed at the meaning of the message until she looked up and noticed the vase of yellow tulips on a table several feet down the hall.

"Follow the yellow flowers," she muttered as she began walking down the hall toward the main staircase, passing a vase of sunflowers along the way. Once she reached the stairs, she found garlands of yellow daisies decorating the banisters. Continuing along the prescribed trail, she turned right at the bottom of the stairs, heading toward an arrangement of yellow lilies into a wide, open hallway. Erika continued down the hallway for several minutes and began wondering if maybe she had missed a set of flowers somewhere when she spotted the head of a daffodil sticking out from around a corner ahead of her. She turned the corner and found another short stretch of hallway leading to two open patio doors.

Two vases full of yellow roses sat on a large glass table just outside the doors, an over-sized umbrella standing in the center and casting the surrounding area in shade. Shizuka looked up from her chair as Erika walked out of the house, shading her eyes from the morning sun, and smiled as she sat down the fruit smoothie she had been drinking.

"Good morning," she called. "I see you found your way here."

"Yeah," Erika muttered, keeping a hand over her eyes as she walked down the stone steps of the patio to the table. "Clever idea. Did you steal it from The Wizard of Oz or something?"

"Those were yellow bricks, not flowers," Shizuka corrected her. "Besides, it worked right?"

Erika grunted slightly and lowered her hand as she finally reached the shade of the umbrella, blinking a couple of times to get the sunspots out of her eyes, and froze when she noticed that Shizuka wasn't alone – the F4 were also seated at the table.

"Good morning," Akira greeted her, giving her a wave. Erika hesitantly waved back, running her other hand through her hair in an attempt to make it less of a mess.

"I like that night gown on you," Soujiroh commented with a lecherous grin. Erika quickly closed up the robe she had thrown on in her room, mentally cursing at herself for not thinking to tie it up again.

"I had no idea we were having company for breakfast, Shizuka," she said sweetly, her tone of voice suggesting just how mad she really was at Shizuka for not giving her fair warning. Rui hid a smile behind his hand, casting a mirthful glance in Shizuka's direction.

"Just sit and have some coffee," Shizuka offered, pouring a cup of the beverage for her. "It'll make you less grouchy."

Erika threw her a dirty look and took the only empty seat at the table, which happened to be across from Rui. Luckily, Soujiroh wasn't seated next to her this time. Instead, she was placed between Shizuka and Tsukasa. Shizuka continued smiling at her good-naturedly as she added a generous amount of cream and several teaspoons of sugar to her coffee, giving it a stir before setting the cup in front of her. Erika muttered a thank you before picking up the cup, blowing on the steaming liquid and taking a small sip.

"So what _are_ you guys doing here?" she asked, setting the cup back down on the table, her mood already beginning to change for the better.

"Shizuka lost a bracelet at my house last night," Rui explained.

"And it takes all _four_ of you to return it?" Erika questioned him, raising an eyebrow as she picked up her coffee cup once more.

"We're taking Tsukasa out today," Akira reminded her. "Boys' day out. Rui asked if we could drop it off on the way, so here we are."

"We weren't about to pass up the chance to see you again," Soujiroh added, giving her a wink.

Erika paused in drinking her coffee, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

"Soujiroh," she addressed him, setting her cup down and propping her chin in one hand as she rested her elbow on the table, looking at him with half-lidded eyes. "You know, since you're here... I could show you my _special_ talent."

Soujiroh nearly choked on the tea he was drinking, coughing loudly, and Tsukasa laughed heartily at the sight.

"Oi, Soujiroh, what's wrong?" he asked. "Can't take the posture?"

"I think he means, can't take the _pressure_," Rui corrected when Soujiroh gave Tsukasa an utterly perplexed look.

Tsukasa muttered something under his breath before drinking some of his orange juice, but Erika decided to ignore it, instead refocusing her attention on Soujiroh.

"So, what do you say?" she asked him in a sultry voice. "Why don't you come on upstairs with me?"

"In fact, you should _all_ come along," Shizuka suggested as she smiled at all four of them, who were now staring at Erika with wide eyes.

"Um... I don't think..." Akira started a bit uncomfortably.

"I think that's a great idea!" Erika butted in, smiling at Shizuka as she stood from her chair. "Come on, you guys."

The four of them looked at her like she had lost her mind, wondering if she had actually _heard_ what Shizuka was suggesting. Shizuka took it upon herself to travel around the table and rouse each of them from their seats before ushering them all into the house behind Erika.

"Where to, Shizuka?" Erika asked over her shoulder as they neared the main staircase.

"My room," Shizuka answered. "At the end of the hallway yours is on."

Soujiroh cast an apologetic look at his three best friends, wondering just what, exactly, he had gotten them all into. The other three exchanged a look among themselves, curious as to why Shizuka was being so casual about all of this. She had always been vocal about her dislike of Soujiroh's playboy tendencies, but now she suddenly wanted them to _join_ him on one of his conquests? It didn't make sense. In fact, it was downright creepy. But they all knew Shizuka well enough to know better than to argue with her about anything. Tsukasa's sister might have been able to pack quite a punch, but Shizuka could be just as intimidating, even if she didn't believe in resorting to violence.

"Here we are," Erika stated as they reached the door to Shizuka's room, pausing and turning to them all. "Are you boys ready?" she asked them, licking her lips in a grand display before opening the door and heading into the bedroom.

The boys hesitated until Shizuka shoved Rui into Tsukasa, who bumped into Akira, knocking Soujiroh ahead, in turn. The four of them caught their balance and slowly turned in unison to look in the direction Erika had wandered off to.

"Ah," Rui gasped softly.

"So _that's_ what she meant," Tsukasa said.

"Shizuka, you had us all worked up for nothing, you brat!" Akira scolded her, his tone playful.

Soujiroh merely burst out laughing.

On the wall, just inside the door, was a nearly life-sized portrait of Shizuka, mounted in a solid gold frame. Erika was standing next to the painting, leaning against the wall and grinning triumphantly as she tried not to laugh, as well.

"You should have seen the looks on your faces," Shizuka told them as she went to stand next to her. "Excellent acting, by the way, Erika."

"Thank you, Shizuka," Erika replied. "Although I must admit, you suggesting that they _all_ come along was a nice touch. I mean, really guys... Did you actually think I was going to do _all four_ of you or something? Geez, I'm not a slut."

Rui, Akira, and Tsukasa all blushed, causing Soujiroh to laugh even harder.

"Honestly," he managed to say through his laughter, "I had an inkling something was up when you made that suggestion, Shizuka. I was surprised they all went along with it for so long, actually. Especially you two virgins," he said, pointing at Rui and Tsukasa. Tsukasa sputtered, his face burning a brilliant shade of crimson.

"I am _not_ a virgin!" he denied the accusation.

"Oh, come on," Akira chimed in. "We all know your first _kiss_ was with Makino at that party. And you haven't even gone out with another girl since then. Plus, we all know _she's_ still a virgin, which means you haven't been getting any from her, and you're not the type of guy to try to force yourself on her, no matter how much of a bully you are."

"What about Shigeru?" Tsukasa asked, even more flustered with the two of them now ganging up on him. "How do you know I didn't have sex with her? We were engaged, after all."

"But you didn't _love_ her," Soujiroh reminded him, placing an arm around his shoulders and grinning playfully. "Our little Tsukasa-chan is a romantic, deep down. Right, Akira?"

Akira nodded, his own grin mirroring Soujiroh's. "Hence the extravagant set-up of that proposal of yours."

"What about Rui?" Tsukasa blurted out, desperate to change the subject. "What makes you think he's still a virgin?"

"I've never denied that I was," Rui answered calmly.

"Rui believed in true love way before you even knew what the concept _meant_, Tsukasa," Soujiroh stated matter-of-factly. "He'd never sleep with a girl just for the fun of it."

"He doesn't know what he's missing," Akira said under his breath, but just loud enough to be sure everyone else in the room heard him.

"I think it's sweet," Erika voiced her opinion. All of their eyes turned to her, and she suddenly felt very put on the spot, flushing a bit nervously as she tucked away some of her hair behind one ear.

"It's rare these days that you find a guy who _isn't_ in a relationship primarily for sex," she continued. "Especially younger guys," she added, casting a meaningful glance at Soujiroh and Akira. "But I think it's nice that Rui is willing to wait until he finds the right girl. It means he really cares, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"And what about you?" Soujiroh asked her, leaving Tsukasa's side and inching closer to where she was, his smile taking on a more seductive look.

"What _about _me?"

Soujiroh stopped in front of her and bent down slightly, placing a hand under her down-turned chin and lifting her face up to look into her eyes.

"Have you ever done the nasty?" he questioned her in a low, smooth voice. Akira had to stifle his laugh, unable to believe Soujiroh was able to keep a straight face while asking the question.

"If you're asking whether or not I'm a virgin, then the answer is no," Erika replied.

Soujiroh blinked at her reaction and backed away from her slightly. He had expected her to blush like mad and stutter like any normal girl. Instead, her eyes had turned cold and her voice had a hard edge to it when she spoke.

"I'm sorry," he apologized immediately, thinking the error lay within his own actions. "I didn't mean to offend you. I was just trying to be playful."

Sensing the distinct change in the atmosphere of the room, Shizuka cleared her throat and attempted to draw their attention back to the painting on the wall.

"Erika painted this herself," she explained.

"It's really an amazing likeness," Soujiroh commented, happily jumping onto this new train of conversation with her. "If I didn't know any better, I would think it was a photograph."

"It _was_ a photograph," Erika informed him. "From one of her magazine spreads. I thought the picture captured her essence brilliantly, so I used it as my model for the portrait."

"How long have you been painting?" Rui asked, genuinely curious.

"About fifteen years," she answered. "I started when I was five. Of course, it was mostly _finger_-painting, then."

Rui smiled and Soujiroh chuckled lightly, and Shizuka breathed an internal sigh of relief as the conversation continued on in a much lighter manner with the lot of them discussing Erika's artwork and her study of painting in Paris. Shizuka even gave them a demonstration of her photographic memory, asking her to recall the flowers she had followed to the patio, in order. Even though she had been half asleep when she made her way to breakfast, Erika managed to remember each one and didn't miss a beat as she ran down the list.

"Oi, Shizuka," Akira whispered to her as Erika was chatting with Tsukasa about the possibility of doing a portrait of Tsukushi in her wedding gown. "What the hell _was_ that earlier?"

"What was what?" she whispered back, confused by his question.

"That look Erika gave Soujiroh when he asked if she ever had sex before," he clarified. "She looked like she was about to kill him."

_Leave it to Akira to pick up on little things_, Shizuka thought to herself before turning her attention fully to him.

"Erika just doesn't like people knowing every little bit of her personal business, that's all," she explained to him. "She's a rather private person. Soujiroh just crossed a line by trying to get a bit _too_ personal with her too quickly."

It wasn't an outright lie, but it wasn't the full truth, either. Akira seemed to be satisfied with that reasoning, however, and soon rejoined the others in their conversation. Shizuka, meanwhile, wondered just how many _other_ land mines the F4 would end up nearly stepping on in the coming weeks.

* * *

><p>Rui yawned loudly as he let himself into his mansion, worn out from a day full of running around with his three best friends. Despite Tsukushi's protests from the night before, Soujiroh had dragged them to a strip club toward the end of their adventures. Rui went along with it, despite his discomfort, for the sake of Tsukasa, who was downright adamant in his refusal to join in until Soujiroh and Akira talked him into it. They ended up staying less than half an hour before leaving the other two there alone, and had what Rui found to be a rather interesting conversation in the car during the ride back to his house.<p>

"To be honest, I'm scared," Tsukasa had confessed, his demeanor very unlike the arrogant ass he usually was. "What if I can't make Makino happy?"

"She's already happy," Rui had assured him. "She loves you, you love her, and you finally have your mother's blessing. All is well."

"You think so?"

"Tsukasa... you two _already_ bicker like an old married couple. If that's not a sign of true love, I don't know what is."

But the more he thought about that last statement, the more unsure he was about his own assessment of what 'true love' really was. After all, hadn't he though he'd found that with Shizuka? He'd been wrong, though. He had mistakenly thought her fondness for him ran as deep as his own for her. When he realized that she only loved him as a brother, he'd felt like a fool for not seeing it sooner. So he left her in France and came back to Japan in hopes of maybe starting a relationship with Makino – only to have that plan foiled by a rather unexpected feat: Makino had already fallen in love with Tsukasa.

Being the gentleman that he was, Rui bowed out. Tsukasa was his best friend, after all, and he had never seen him as happy as he was when he talked about Makino. Even when he was complaining about her, he always had a silly grin on his face. Rui had put up a bit of a fight when it appeared that Tsukasa was going to go through with his arranged marriage to Shigeru, but deep down he knew it was a losing battle. The two of them were meant for each other. And so, he lost out again on finding true love.

He didn't know why he was trying to rush it, though. He was still young, not even twenty yet, and had his whole life ahead of him. He couldn't help if a part of him was jealous, though. Whenever he saw Tsukushi and Tsukasa together, he felt a pang of loneliness. In truth, he had always been a bit of a loner. Even when he was young, he had been shy and quiet, preferring to read by himself rather than socialize with other children. Being alone had its disadvantages, though. Sometimes he wanted nothing more than someone to talk to and laugh with, someone he could hold and cherish and call his own. He wanted someone who – like Shizuka and Makino – could accept him as he was and love him with all of his faults intact.

Sighing a bit, he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck as he started upstairs to go to bed, but his attention was drawn to the sitting room when a rather unexpected voice called his name. His brow furrowed in confusion, he followed the call and stopped in the doorway of the room, blinking.

"Father, what are you doing here?" he asked upon finding the man in question seated in one of the overstuffed chairs quietly nursing a glass of scotch.

"What a wonderful greeting to receive from my only son," his father replied, his voice deep and full of humor.

"Forgive me," Rui apologized with a smile, bowing before the other man. "Welcome home, Father. How was your trip?"

"Dreadful," the elder Hanazawa replied, taking a long drink before setting his glass down. "I honestly can't understand how some people receive a driver's license."

"Don't tell me you fired _another_ driver," Rui groaned, taking a seat across from him.

"No, Antonio is very competent behind the wheel. It's those maniac kids out there I'm concerned with."

Rui didn't miss the meaningful glance that was cast in his direction. Ever since he received a convertible from his mother as a gift for his high school graduation, his father had taken several opportunities to lecture him on being a responsible driver. Admittedly, Rui _did_ enjoy driving fast in his sporty car, but he was always careful.

"What brings you home?" Rui asked, wanting to squelch the oncoming lecture before it even got started. "You weren't scheduled to come home for another month yet."

"I heard of your friend's engagement," his father stated, suddenly turning very serious.

"Yes," Rui prompted him, unsure where this conversation was headed.

"I find it had to believe that someone like Tsukasa Domyouji would beat _my_ son to the altar."

Rui cleared his throat a bit, feeling very uncomfortable. He had a vague notion of where this was going.

"I suppose Tsukasa just had an easier time finding the person he wants to spend his life with," he said, trying his best not to squirm under his father's scrutinizing gaze.

"Rui, you are a handsome, intelligent young man. You are the pride and joy of this family and one day you will make a fine president for our corporation. But I think it is time you start to seriously think about your future and a family."

"Father, I-"

"I have never asked anything unreasonable of you," his father cut him off. "I have always let you have your way and given you everything you asked for. But I think right now it is time I put down a firm hand."

Rui looked at him from under his bangs, now almost certain he knew what would be coming next. His father was competitive by nature, and the thought that Tsukasa – who he considered to be an utter buffoon – was going to be married ahead of _his_ perfect son was something he just wouldn't stand for.

"I will give you one month."

"For what?" Rui asked, in the vain hope that maybe he was wrong in his assumption.

"To choose a bride," his father replied as he picked up his glass once more, confirming his fears. "We will announce your engagement at the yearly benefit, and you will be married by the end of the summer."

"_Two months?_" Rui exclaimed in disbelief before he could stop himself. "You want me to be _married _in two months?"

"Is that a problem?" his father wondered, looking sternly at him over the rim of his glass.

Rui swallowed a bit nervously. He knew that look. It was the cutthroat look he always had when he was about to take another company down, a look that struck fear in any business manager who was on the receiving end of it. No matter how much Rui disliked his father's demands, he knew he had no choice but to agree to the arrangement, because _no one_ dared to cross Kazamasa Hanazawa... not even his own son.

"Well, Rui?" his father said when he failed to answer the previous question promptly.

"No, sir," Rui answered quietly, his gaze never wavering. "It's no problem, at all."


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: I'd like to apologize for any rogue "Shizuka"s in the part with Shigeru. For some reason, I kept typing Shizuka's name by mistake, lol. I think I corrected them all, though. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Seven<span>

Erika stood like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming semi truck, frozen in place at the sight of all the people in the ballroom. There were easily at least a hundred guests at the party, and all of them were dressed in formal attire that she could only _dream_ of being able to afford. She didn't know whether she should thank Shizuka for being so generous in buying her dress and supplying her jewelry for the evening, or if it would be more appropriate to apologize for her presence tarnishing the perfect image that lay before them.

Sensing her hesitation, Shizuka ushered her into the ballroom, reminding her to smile. Erika obeyed, forcing her mouth to turn upwards in spite of her nerves, and followed Shizuka as she made her way through the crowded room. She didn't miss any of the stares, however, and even though the guests were all speaking in Japanese, she could tell by their hushed tones that she was the topic of their conversations as she passed by.

She wasn't really surprised, though. After all, she would have been shocked at any less of a reaction. Here she was, an obvious outsider from both a cultural and economic standpoint, and she was walking among them like she thought she belonged.

_If only you people knew how I really felt right now_, she thought to herself, wanting to throw the words at all the gossiping guests they passed. She vaguely wondered what their reaction would be if she put on a show for them and acted exactly like they expected an unrefined American girl to be. Erika knew she'd get a laugh out of the looks on their faces, but Shizuka would be disappointed in her, and it was Shizuka's hospitality that had brought her here in the first place. So she decided to behave.

"Shi-zu-kaaaaa!"

Erika's attention was drawn out of her thoughts and back into the real world as a girl with short, dark hair came running up to them, waving furiously and grinning so much that Erika thought she might be auditioning for the role of The Joker in the next Batman movie. Aside from the almost frightening grin, Erika found her to be a very attractive young woman, and she immediately recognized the dress she was wearing as one of the ones from the Hitachiin Boutique, which meant she was also filthy rich – as expected of any guest at this party.

"Shigeru, you're just as bubbly as ever," Shizuka greeted the girl, laughing as she received a tight hug from her. When Shigeru finally let her go, she turned toward Erika, placing a hand against the small of her back and pushing her forward for a formal introduction.

"Shigeru Okawahara, this is my friend, Erika Tyler."

"Wow, you are _so_ pretty!" Shigeru exclaimed before Erika could open her mouth to speak, taking her hands and holding them away from her body to get a better look at her. "Are you American? I _love_ your hair. That dress looks so cute on you! It really brings out your eyes."

"Um, thanks," Erika finally managed to say when the other girl finally paused to take a breath. "So you're the girl who was going to marry Tsukasa?"

She cursed herself the minute the words left her mouth, knowing it probably _wasn't_ the most tactful thing to say. Noticing her error, she bowed deeply, voicing her apology, but Shigeru merely laughed, waving it off.

"It's okay, Erika-san," Shigeru assured her. "It's in the past. I'm just happy that Tsukasa can be happy with the one he loves."

"We were just on our way to greet the boys," Shizuka told her. "Have you seen them?"

"Uh..." Shigeru muttered, craning her neck slightly as she looked around. "Over there!" She pointed to where the F4 were standing off to the side of the crowded ballroom, along with Tsukushi, who had one of Tsukasa's arms wrapped possessively around her waist.

Erika looked over at the group and noticed that the girl appeared to be as uncomfortable as she felt being around all the stuck-up, wealthy guests. In a way, it made her feel better knowing she wasn't the only person not fully enjoying themselves at the party. The rest of the group seemed to be having a good time, talking and laughing amongst themselves... with the exception of Rui, who was standing a bit off to the side, staring moodily into his drink.

"Come on," Shizuka ordered, grabbing Erika's hand and leading her through the crowd to where they were standing. Erika, not used to the heels she was wearing, stumbled slightly as she was forced into movement. By the time they reached the group, however, she had regained her composure and was once again carrying herself in the "proper" manner that she knew was expected of her at this party.

"Good evening," Shizuka greeted them, giving each of the boys a kiss on the cheek before standing next to Rui and linking one of her arms through his.

"Wow, Erika," Soujiroh said, letting out a low whistle as he looked her over. "You certainly look beautiful this evening."

Erika rolled her eyes as he kissed the back of her hand. "Thank you, Soujiroh, but all the credit really goes to Shizuka and her expert team of stylists."

"Well, they had the benefit of having a gorgeous pallet to start with," he continued flirting with her, gently caressing the side of her face with one hand as he held the hand he had kissed to his chest.

"If you insist," Erika replied politely, pulling her hand out of his grasp and turning to the others. Akira was smirking at her, probably amused by the way she shot down his best friend's advances. Tsukasa still had his arm around Tsukushi, his smile tender as he kept his attention focused entirely on her. Rui was continuing to stare moodily at his drink, apparently not even aware of Shizuka's presence at his side.

"What's with the emo act?" Erika asked him. It took a couple of seconds to register that she was speaking to him, then he slowly raised his gaze to meet hers.

"What was that?" he asked, his mellow voice sounding a bit distracted.

"I asked why you're being all broody," Erika explained, realizing he probably wasn't up-to-date on slang. "This is a party. It's supposed to be fun. So smile, laugh, lighten up a bit, okay? Otherwise you're going to end up bringing everyone else down."

Rui smiled, just barely. "Sorry. I've just had a lot on my mind, lately."

"Rui, doesn't Erika look nice tonight?" Shizuka asked him, trying to draw his attention completely to the girl. Rui nodded slightly, looking Erika over.

"That dress is very nice on you," he commented. To his surprise, she blushed at the compliment, and he smiled even more when he noticed that she was one of those girls who had a tendency to blush all over. The color started in her cheeks, then traveled down her neck and across her shoulders. As his eyes traveled back toward her face, he noticed a thin white line standing out against the pinkish-red hue of her skin.

"How did that happen?" he asked curiously, pointing to the scar along her collarbone. Her eyes went a little wide, apparently surprised that he had noticed the flaw, and she quickly brought up a hand to cover the spot as she let out a nervous laugh.

"It was my own stupid fault," Erika told him. "I wrecked my bike when I was about eight years old. Hit a patch of gravel and lost control, got thrown over the handlebars, broke my collarbone."

Rui raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn't question her any farther. Instead, he turned his attention to Shizuka.

"Could we speak privately?" he requested, setting his drink down on the edge of a potted plant stand as he took her hand and began leading her away from the festivities. Erika watched as Shizuka was led away, wondering what she had said to scare him off so suddenly.

"Don't mind him," Akira whispered to her. "I'm sure he's just a bit depressed right now because of the engagement."

"Why should that depress him?" Erika asked, turning her head to find him standing right over her shoulder. "Shouldn't he be happy for Tsukasa?"

"He was in love with Tsukushi, too," Akira told her. "I'm surprised that Shizuka didn't fill you in on all of this."

"No," Erika replied, shaking her head. "The only things she ever told me about Rui were how wonderful and kind and gentle and smart he is. You know, the typical ramblings of a woman in love."

"Shizuka isn't in love with Rui."

"Could've fooled me."

* * *

><p>Shizuka sighed heavily as Rui led her out to the courtyard behind the mansion, halting once they were finally far enough away from the festivities that they couldn't even hear the music being played outside for the overflow of guests.<p>

"Rui, what's going on?" she demanded, forcing him to stop walking as she tugged her hand away from his.

"My father is forcing me to get married," he said quietly after a moment, his back still to her.

"What?" Shizuka asked in disbelief, eyes going wide. If Rui was being pushed into an arranged marriage, that meant she had little to no chance at getting him and Erika together.

"He's given me until the yearly benefit to choose my bride," he informed her, his voice still barely audible in spite of the quiet surrounding them. "Then I'm to be married at the end of the summer."

"At least you get to have _some_ say in the matter," Shizuka said, clearly annoyed at his father for putting him in such a situation. "But honest;y, how can he expect you to find someone and fall in love in less than a month?"

"I think that's the point," Rui told her with a heavy sigh, finally turning to face her. "He's only doing this as a pretense of goodwill. He knows it'll be impossible for me to find a girl I actually _love_ in that amount of time, so he'll end up getting to choose whoever he wants for me to marry, anyway. He's already started setting up 'dates' for me with the daughters of wealthy investors, even," he added with a bitter laugh.

"Rui..." Shizuka reached out and places a hand on his arm, giving it a sympathetic and reassuring squeeze. "What brought this on, anyway?"

"Tsukasa's engagement," he answered, shaking his head slightly. "You know how much of an idiot my father thinks he is. The man couldn't _stand_ the idea of him beating his son to the altar."

"What are you going to do?" Shizuka asked quietly.

"What choice do I have?" Rui wondered aloud with a heavy sigh. "No one defies Kazamasa Hanazawa, right? I guess I'll just have to... suck it up, and try to make the best of things. Maybe I can find someone I can at least _tolerate_ to take as my wife."

"It's still not fair to force you into this, especially so fast," Shizuka argued, slightly angered at how easily he was giving up. Of course, he had already lost out on love twice in his life, so she could almost understand why he so reluctant to fight for a future love he wasn't even sure would exist.

"I've known something like this would be in the cards for a long time, Shizuka," he told her, smiling sadly. "I knew it would be a stretch to actually love the person I would end up marrying one day. I came to terms with that fact long ago."

"Don't say that, Rui," Shizuka scolded him. "I _know_ you'll find a girl to love, and she'll love you back just as deeply."

"Well, unless she shows up in the next month..." Rui shrugged, allowing the statement to hang between them. Shizuka had to bite her tongue to keep from yelling at him that the girl he was looking for had been right in front of him when they were inside.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" he asked suddenly, his countenance taking on a more thoughtful air.

"Sure," Shizuka replied, nodding even though she was clueless about where he was taking this conversation.

"Erika's scar... What's the _real_ story behind it?"

Shizuka blinked, confused about why he would be asking such a question.

"It's bugging me because I can tell she was lying," Rui explained, sticking his hands in the pockets of his white suit jacket.

"What reason would she have to lie about something like that?" Shizuka asked him.

"That's what's bugging me," Rui told her.

Shizuka sighed. "Like she told you, she had an accident on her bike as a child and-"

"Now _you're_ lying," Rui said, cutting her off. "There's no way she got that scar from breaking her collarbone, and she _certainly_ didn't get it over ten years ago."

"How can you be so sure?" she asked him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"For one thing, older scars tend to fade. If she really did get it as a kid, it would hardly be noticeable now. I'm guessing she probably got it... two or three years ago."

"Maybe she doesn't heal as fast as other people," Shizuka countered.

"Yeah, but... she said she broke her collarbone, right? I'm assuming she meant that the bone actually protruded through the skin and caused the scarring. But if that was the case, then the scar would go _across_ the bone. Hers was _along_ the bone."

He started Shizuka down and knew that she'd been had when she finally turned her eyes away from him, sighing helplessly.

"So I'll ask you again, what's the real story?"

"I'm not at liberty to tell you," Shizuka said firmly, turning her eyes back to his once more.

"But you _do_ know?" Rui asked.

"Yes, I do," she confirmed.

"Does it have anything to do with her other weird behavior?" he wondered.

"What do you mean?" Shizuka asked, trying to deny knowledge of what he was talking about.

"The way she snapped that crab leg at dinner last week like it was someone's neck," he reminded her. "And that death-glare she gave Soujiroh when he asked if she was a virgin. It's almost as if..." He paused for a moment, running a hand back through his hair as he tried to figure out the most delicate way to put what he wanted to say into words. "Did someone hurt that girl, Shizuka? Is that why you brought her here?"

"No, that's not why I brought her here, Rui," Shizuka replied without missing a beat. "The building she's been living in was being shut down for the summer for renovations. She had nowhere else to go, so I offered to let her come here and stay with me. As for her other little outbursts... She didn't exactly have the best family life, with her mother dying and all, and she's a very private person who doesn't appreciate it when a playboy like Soujiroh tries to get too intimate with her after only having just recently met."

"Alright," Rui said with a nod, accepting her explanation. "But what about her scar?"

"I _told_ you Rui, I'm not at liberty to discuss that. It's a private matter, and if Erika _wants_ you to know the truth she will tell you herself, when she's ready."

Rui nodded once more and yawned loudly, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth. Shizuka smiled at how cute he looked, all the while panicking inside. Not only was she going to have to kick her plans into high gear, but Rui's intelligence and observant nature had led him to nearly deducing a part of Erika's past that Shizuka knew the girl would rather keep buried and gone for good.

* * *

><p>Erika felt awkward being around the remaining members of the F4 after Rui and Shizuka wandered off together. Tsukasa was still fawning over Tsukushi, who seemed to be thoroughly embarrassed by the display and kept hitting him and yelling at him to stop – which, in turn, just spurred him on even more. Akira had started hitting on one of the caterers who came out to refill the hors d'ouvers platters, a woman with short-cropped black hair who was easily in her early thirties. Soujiroh, meanwhile, had taken to trying to woo her again. He kept complimenting her, saying how nice her hair looked and how beautiful her eyes were, and Erika politely accepted the compliments, no matter how fake they were.<p>

After a few minutes of awkwardness, she was saved by Shigeru, who insisted that she try some of the food that was being offered. Shigeru dragged her to the buffet table, and Erika watched in awe as the other girl piled a plate high with just about everything there was to eat.

"Are you actually going to _eat_ all of that?" she asked as she selected a few things and placed them on her own plate.

"Of course!" Shigeru beamed. "I absolutely _love_ food, don't you?"

Erika nodded, smiling politely, and wondered if maybe the girl had an eating disorder. After all, she was still as skinny as a stick despite claiming that she could 'eat the entire buffet line,' as she put it. The two of them continued to talk as they ate, and Erika found her to be a rather friendly – if overly bubbly – person. Shigeru told her all about her failed relationship with Tsukasa, and during the story Erika noticed that despite her happiness for the bride-and-groom-to-be, she still had a sad look in her eyes while she talked about everything that had happened between her and the Domyouji heir.

"So what about you?" Shigeru suddenly asked as she tucked into her third piece of cake. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No," Erika replied, laughing a little. "No, I don't exactly date."

"Aw, why not?" Shigeru wondered, pouting sympathetically. "You're a cute girl. I bet you could get any guy you wanted in here. Say, that Nishikado boy seemed pretty interested in you, didn't he?"

Erika laughed as the other girl nudged her with her elbow. "I think the only thing _he_ is interested in is getting in my pants."

"How about Rui, then?" Shigeru suggested. "He's cute, and Tsukushi-chan tells me he's really sweet, too."

"I don't think so," Erika insisted, suddenly feeling uncomfortable about the conversation they were having.

"Why not?" Shigeru asked around a mouthful of cake, curious about her reason for turning down someone like Rui.

"He already has someone," Erika replied, thinking about the way Shizuka had been fawning over him and how he had led her away from the others earlier so they could be alone. "If you'll excuse me, Shigeru, I'm going to see if I can track down Shizuka."

Shigeru blotted at her mouth with a napkin and attempted to get her to stop, but she had already made a hasty retreat into the crowd. Her eyes scanned the faces of the guests, searching for any sign of Shizuka or Rui, who she knew would probably have a good idea of where her friend was.

After several minutes, she found herself back in front of Tsukushi and Tsukasa, who were now bickering about something or other. Their voices kept rising as they argued, and although Erika couldn't understand a word they were saying, it seemed as though Tsukasa had wronged Tsukushi in some way and was vehemently denying it. Suddenly, he grabbed his fiancee's face in his hands and kissed her. She fought back at first, pounding his chest with her fists, but after a moment she gave in and started kissing him back. Erika could swear she saw a triumphant smirk tugging at the corner of Tsukasa's lips.

Sighing, she turned away from them, not wanting to disturb the moment with questions about Shizuka's whereabouts. She had a pretty good idea where she was, anyway. They were at Rui's house, after all, and he had dragged her off somewhere so they could be alone. It didn't take a genius to figure out what they had most likely been up to for the last hour. The only problem was, without Shizuka she had no way of getting home.

Resigning herself to being stuck at the party for the rest of the night, Erika made her way to the bar. If she had to be there, she might as well make the best of things and take advantage of the situation by drinking something with a decent price tag.

"Dom Perignon," she ordered when she stepped up to the bar. The bartender nodded, and she waited until he uncorked the bottle before reaching over the counter and taking the bottle out of his grasp.

"Thanks," she told him with a smile before wandering off, taking a hefty swig from the bottle as she began searching for a nice, quiet place to get drunk.

* * *

><p>Soujiroh wandered along the upstairs hallway, glad to be away from the noise of the engagement party. Normally, he would be enjoying himself at a party, but parties where the main focus was an upcoming wedding tended to not bode well for him. More often than not, the girls in attendance were looking for something substantially more than a one-night stand, even if it <em>was<em> with one of the best-looking men in Japan. He sighed a bit and laughed to himself, thinking he should probably just go home. Tsukasa was wrapped up in Tsukushi, and rightfully so considering it was _their_ engagement party, Akira was slowly but surely seducing the caterer, and Rui... Well, they hadn't seen much of him since he wandered off with Shizuka after her arrival. Shizuka herself had returned to the group shortly after Erika's abduction at the hands of Shigeru, and had proceeded to try to play matchmaker with him and Tsukushi's friend, Yuki.

In all honesty, he didn't understand why everyone kept telling him they would be such a good couple. He was a playboy with more notches on his bedpost than he cared to count, and, from what he could tell, she was as inexperienced in the bedroom as Makino was. She was looking for true love, and he just wanted to have a good time. Sure, he'd been in love once – but it had had disastrous results, and he really wasn't looking for a repeat performance. In recent years, he had discovered that it was easier to just not care about a girl's feelings. Friends were for sharing feelings, lovers were for sex. It was as simple as that.

But he couldn't deny that a part of him was slightly jealous of Tsukasa, anyway.

Sighing to himself, he turned a corner and started to make his way out onto the balcony overlooking the courtyard out back, but stopped short when he saw that someone was already out there. It took him a few steps to recognize who it was, and a wide grin spread across his face as he approached her.

"So this is where you disappeared to," he said as he stepped out onto the balcony with her.

Erika raised her head from the balustrade and turned weary blue eyes in his direction, her eyelids drooping slightly in her inebriated state. She had taken the pins out of her hair, allowing it to fall around her shoulders in messy waves, and her lipstick was messed up. Soujiroh noted the amount of lipstick on the rim of the bottle of champagne sitting next to her and figured that she probably hadn't smudged it by making out with someone.

"May I?" he asked her, gesturing toward the bottle. She nodded lazily, slowly standing upright and sliding the bottle over to him. Soujiroh smiled and thanked her, marveling at how little was left in the large champagne bottle as he took a drink from it.

"I take it you're not having a good time," he wondered as he set the bottle down again. She shrugged in response, and he reached over to play with her hair, smiling slightly. "You know, I think I like you better like this, with your hair down."

"Shut up, Soujiroh," she growled, her voice slurring slightly. "I'm not in the mood for your shit right now."

Soujiroh blinked, drawing his hand back away from her, and muttered an apology. She turned to him, taking a step closer to him before falling against his chest. He brought his arms up automatically to catch her, chuckling a bit as he wrapped them around her waist to keep her from ending up on the ground. She laid her head against his shoulder, murmuring something about him being warm, and snuggled against him slightly. Soujiroh laughed again and bent his head down to look at her face, finding her eyes closed.

"You really _are_ drunk, aren't you?" he asked her. Her eyes opened and she raised her head slightly to look at him.

"I want to go home," she pleaded, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.

"To Shizuka's?" he asked for clarification. Erika nodded, and he also nodded in agreement before leaning back away from her. "Let's get out of here, then."

Moving slowly, so as not to make her lose her balance, he turned and wrapped an arm around her waist, allowing her to lean against him. Then he carefully led her back inside and steered her downstairs. He didn't bother trying to find Shizuka or any of the others to tell them he was taking her home. There were far too many people in the ballroom, and Erika was barely conscious as it was. Shifting her weight slightly so that she was balanced rather precariously against his chest, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and called his driver, requesting that he pick the two of them up at the front door.

"How are you holding up there?" he asked Erika as he placed a hand under her chin, tiling her face up toward his. She nodded slightly, and he gave her a chaste kiss on her forehead before opening the door and helping her outside to his waiting car.

Rui leaned against the banister at the bottom of the stairs, watching the door close behind them. He had witnessed the entire exchange upstairs for afar, and though he couldn't hear what was being said he knew exactly what was going on. Soujiroh had finally made a play for Erika and, surprisingly, it looked like he was going to get just what he was after. Rui wondered how he had so wrongly estimated the girl's character. She didn't seem like the type to go off with a guy like Soujiroh, and Shizuka had even more or less confirmed that.

"I guess you never really know people," he said to himself, sighing a bit as he started to make his way back toward the ballroom. He froze in his tracks when he found Yuki standing just outside of the ballroom, staring at the front door with tears in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, realizing she had probably seen Soujiroh and Erika leaving together.

"I'm fine," she insisted, looking up at him and forcing a smile. "Tell Tsukushi I had a great time, would you?"

She didn't even wait for Rui to acknowledge her request before making a mad dash for the front door, a choked sob making its way back to his ears in her wake.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"Erika?" Shizuka called, shaking the lump in the bed that was shielded from the sunlight by the covers. "Erika! Wake up! It's almost noon."

Erika mumbled something in protest, pulling the covers down over herself even tighter in an attempt to drown out Shizuka's voice. Her brain felt like it was being sucked inside-out, and the noise was only serving to cause a rather painful reverberation within her skull. She kept her eyes shut tight against what little light managed to shine through the covers, as even that minuscule amount was enough to make her retinas feel like they were burning.

"Just _how much_ did you have to drink at the party last night?" Shizuka asked her, laughing as she shook her a bit more vigorously.

"Too much," Erika groaned in reply. "Now stop shaking me before I puke all over your thousand-dollar sheets."

Shizuka laughed again and ceased in trying to rouse her from the bed, instead going over to the window and pulling open the curtains. The light of the sun, now completely unobstructed, flooded the room and fell across the bed, causing Erika to utter a new round of protests.

"Come on," Shizuka insisted, smacking her feet as she walked around the end of the bed and over to the dresser. "We're going to be late if you don't start getting around."

"Late for what?" Erika asked, lifting the covers up just enough to peek through. She saw Shizuka digging through one of the drawers, wondering what she was looking for since she still hadn't unpacked her suitcases yet and the only things in the dresser were clothes that belonged to her hostess.

"We're playing tennis this afternoon with Rui and Soujiroh," Shizuka announced, throwing some clothes at her. "Those should fit you okay. Put them on."

"What the hell?" Erika protested. "You expect me to play _tennis_ when I'm obviously hung over?"

Shizuka smiled and walked out of her line of sight, reappearing a moment later with a cup of coffee in one hand and a bottle of aspirin in the other. Erika's gaze moved lethargically from the items in her hand to her face, and she groaned loudly as she pulled the covers back down over her head.

"You have ten seconds to get up yourself, or I'm going to pull those covers off and _make_ you get up," Shizuka threatened in a sweet voice that made Erika want to punch out every one of her perfect little teeth.

"Have you no mercy?" she begged, gripping the covers at tightly as she could in preparation for a fight.

"Of course I do," Shizuka said, laughing. "Just not right now."

* * *

><p>Erika sighed as she and Shizuka walked into the tennis club, still unsure why she agreed to come play with her. She had lost the fight to remain in bed in order to nurse her hangover in quiet solitude, but actually felt considerably better after Shizuka practically forced her to eat something. However, she still had an uneasy feeling in her stomach when she considered who they were to be playing against. While she liked both boys well enough, she just knew it was going to be a love-fest between Shizuka and her dear Rui, which was something she wasn't sure her stomach could take at the moment. Not only that, but she vaguely remembered hanging all over Soujiroh at the party the previous night and a part of her worried he might have taken it the wrong way.<p>

"Erika, come on," Shizuka called, standing several feet ahead of her as she held open the door to the women's changing rooms.

"Why are we _here_, anyway?" Erika asked as she made her way over to her. "Don't you have your own tennis courts at home?"

"They're being rennovated," Shizuka told her, nodding toward the door to try to get her to hurry up.

"What about the others?"

"Rui's parents are more into the arts than sports, and Soujiroh's house was built in the traditional Japanese style, so neither of them have tennis courts on their grounds," she replied, grabbing her wrist and pulling her along. "Now come on."

"Ah, you two are already here!"

Erika turned around and saw Soujiroh walking through the entrance, waving and smiling brightly. Rui lagged a few steps behind him, his expression slightly more serious than usual. Erika waved back automatically, her own smile a bit strained as the dark-haired boy approached her and brushed some of her hair back from her face in a somewhat tender manner.

"How are you feeling today?" he asked, obviously concerned. "You were in quite a state last night when I left you."

"I'm fine, thank you for asking," she replied, blushing slightly as she pulled her other hand free of Shizuka's grasp. She knew nothing had happened between them, but it was still sweet that he cared enough to ask how she was feeling, even if he _did_ have ulterior motives for being so nice.

Rui rolled his eyes, sighing in an annoyed manner as he walked off in the opposite direction of without saying a word, and Erika noticed that his coldness seemed to be directed toward the two of them, in particular.

"What's _his_ problem?" she asked, hooking a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the changing rooms he had gone into.

"He thinks we slept together," Soujiroh answered.

"_What_?" Erica nearly yelled, causing a few other people in the lobby to look in their direction. "What the hell did he say to you?"

"Nothing," Soujiroh told her. "I can just tell what he's thinking. He gets this way whenever I take some girl home with me for the night."

"But you two _didn't_ sleep together, right?" Shizuka asked them, looking from Erika to Soujiroh and back again.

"Of _course_ not!" Erika replied, slightly outraged that she would even think it was possible.

"Erika was quite drunk last night, and she wanted to go home," Soujiroh explained to her. "So I gave her a ride back to your place before heading home, myself."

"And I don't suppose you tried to set him straight on what _really_ happened?" Erika accused him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Even if I did, he probably wouldn't believe me," Soujiroh answered, grinning sheepishly. "My reputation sort of precedes me in this sort of situation."

"Just great," Erika grumbled. "Now _he_ thinks I'm an easy lay, too."

Soujiroh blinked, confused by her statement, and watched as she marched off toward the women's changing rooms, slamming her hand into the door as she pushed it open. Turning his bewildered gaze to Shizuka, he received a small shrug in lieu of an explanation for the other girl's behavior.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she told him before hurrying off in the same direction as Erika, leaving him to wonder if she really _was_ as clueless as he was.

* * *

><p>Shizuka spent the next several minutes trying to calm Erika as they changed into their tennis outfits, telling her it was all just an innocent misunderstanding and she should just not worry so much about it. She even offered to talk to Rui and clear the air for her, but it seemed to make no difference in her friend's enraged demeanor.<p>

"They have a saying where I come from, Shizuka," she said, violently tugging on her shirt over her head. "When you assume something, you make an ass out of you and me. That... _jerk_ thinks he knows me well enough to assume that just because I left a party with one of the biggest playboys in all of Japan, I went home _with_ him and screwed him."

"Maybe to him, it looked like you two were getting all cozy."

"Don't you try to make excuses for him, Shizuka," Erika seethed, pointing a finger at her. "I know you're sweet on him, but don't try to justify what he did."

Slamming shut the door of the locker she had placed her clothes in, she grabbed the racquet Shizuka was lending her in addition to her clothes and made her way toward the tennis courts. Shizuka followed, now worried that what was supposed to be a nice, friendly game of tennis was about to turn into a war zone.

Rui and Soujiroh were already at one of the courts, hitting a ball back and forth to warm up for the game, and Erika had to grab Shizuka by the back of her shirt to stop her from going over to Rui to try to explain about what had happened the night before.

"I'll deal with him myself," Erika told her through clenched teeth. Shizuka nodded, albeit reluctantly, and Erika let go of her shirt and walked over to the net, standing next to Soujiroh.

"Boys against girls?" she asked, putting on a cheerful smile. Soujiroh turned his head and looked at her, stunned by her sudden change in demeanor.

"Sure," he agreed, glancing at Shizuka and finding the other woman looking just as taken aback as he was by Erika's upbeat attitude.

"Great!" Erika exclaimed. "But that means you gotta go over there," she told Soujiroh, pointing to the side of the court Rui was standing on. "Now, shoo!"

Soujiroh jumped slightly in surprise when she smacked his butt with her racquet, giving him a wink and giggling at him as she practically skipped over to where Shizuka was standing. After a moment, he pulled himself back together and walks around to the other side of the net, preparing to serve.

"What the hell was that about?" Shizuka asked when Erika reached her, keeping her voice low.

"If Rui wants to take me for the kind of girl Soujiroh usually beds, I figured I might as well _act_ the part," Erika replied before taking her position, turning around and grinning as she waved her hand high above her head.

"Ready, Jiroh!" she called, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet.

Soujiroh grinned a bit uneasily, a bit frightened by the way Erika was acting, and nodded, bouncing the ball a few times on the ground before serving. Shizuka returned the serve, and Rui hit the ball back over the next toward Erika. Erika gripped her racquet tightly in her hands, her mouth set in a firm line, and forcefully hit the ball toward the other side of the court, hitting Rui in the right side, just above his hip.

"Ow!" Rui exclaimed, grabbing his side and looking across the court at Erika, who was once again all smiles.

"Sorry, Rui!" she called to him. "My bad!"

Shizuka and Soujiroh exchanged a look. Both of them had a vague notion they knew where this game was heading. Their suspicions were confirmed when Erika sent the next ball into Rui's shoulder, and the third into his stomach.

"Erika, stop it," Shizuka pleaded under her breath as the other girl prepared to serve. Erika simply continued smiling, though her eyes told Shizuka she was very much intent on continuing her revenge.

Fixing her sights on Rui, who had finally recomposed himself after taking a ball to the gut, she tossed the ball high into the air, hitting it hard as it came back down. The ball traveled quickly through the air, and Rui didn't have time to dodge as it went straight for his head, hitting him square in the eye. His head was thrown back with the force of the blow, and he nearly fell as he stumbled backwards. Shizuka and Soujiroh both dropped their racquets and rushed over to him to make sure he was alright, and Erika smirked as she twirled her racquet around in her fingers.

"Guess that's the game, then," she called to them before turning and making her way back inside.

Shizuka made sure Rui was okay then followed her, picking up her own racquet along the way. She had to hurry to catch up, and grabbed the other girl's arm just as they reached the changing rooms.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked, furious.

"Just giving him what he deserves," Erika answered, unflinchingly.

"You're being completely childish, Erika," Shizuka admonished her. "You could have seriously hurt him, you know."

"Relax, Shizuka," Erika replied with a small laugh. "I took it easy on him. He'll be a bit bruised but otherwise just fine."

"Apologize to him," Shizuka ordered sternly.

"Okay," Erika agreed, nodding once. "I'll apologize to him, as soon as _he_ apologizes to _me _for making those stupid assumptions about my relationship with Soujiroh."

"I mean it, Erika," Shizuka continued scolding her. "Go tell him you're sorry and _explain_ to him about the Soujiroh thing so he's no longer under the wrong assumptions about you."

"Why are you insisting that I make peace with the guy, Shizuka?" Erika asked. "It's not like I'll ever see him again after this summer. Let him think whatever the hell he wants about me."

"I just don't want any bad blood between the two of you," Shizuka explained, trying to calm the situation. "I think you'd both get along wonderfully if you just gave things a chance."

Erika stared at her silently for a long while as things slowly began falling into place in her mind. After a minute, she began laughing, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You sneaky little bitch," she finally said, backing away from Shizuka and wandering over to the locker where she had put her clothes. "I don't believe you."

"What?" Shizuka asked, confused.

"You didn't just bring me here out of the kindness of your heart, did you?" Erika accused her, turning to look over at her over her shoulder as she opened the locker and began pulling out her clothes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Shizuka denied the accusation, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're _trying_ to set me up with Rui," Erika told her matter-of-factly, pointing a hand full of clothes in her direction. "God, how could I have been so stupid? I should have seen it before, the way you were constantly telling me about how wonderful he was. You weren't bragging about him because you were in love with him, you were _talking him up_ to me."

Shizuka sighed in defeat. "Fine, you caught me. Yes, I was trying to set you two up, okay? _Now_ will you please go apologize to him?"

"No," Erika refused, pulling off her tennis shirt and changing back into the violet tank top she had worn to the club.

"No?"

"I have no interest in the guy, Shizuka, especially now that I know he's the type to make a snap judgment about somebody. Besides, like I said, I'm never going to see him again after this summer, anyway."

"Maybe it doesn't have to be that way, though," Shizuka told her, hoping she wouldn't have to come right out and say that Rui was looking for someone to marry.

"You know I don't get involved with guys like him, Shizuka," Erika reminded her quietly.

"You don't like sweet, intelligent, good-looking men?" Shizuka asked, smiling a bit now that her anger seemed to be fading.

Erika sighed deeply, closing the door of her locker, and turned to the other woman, holding the bag containing the rest of her clothes to her chest as she leaned back against the locker door.

"He's a rich boy. They're all the same. They seem so perfect on the outside, but once you really get to know them you finally see what type of people they really are. And maybe you try to look past it, try to tell yourself that the fantasy prince you've built them up to be in your mind is who they really are, but they always do something that hurts you in the end."

"Rui isn't like that, Erika," Shizuka assured her, shaking her head.

"As far as _you_ know," Erika retorted. "But I bet any indiscretions of his have been skillfully covered up by his daddy's money."

She pushed away from the lockers and started making her way toward the exit, still wearing the tennis skirt and shoes, shoving the shirt into the bag with the rest of the clothes she had worn to the tennis club.

"He's not Kevin," Shizuka called after her, stopping her in her tracks. Erika turned back to her, eyes wide with surprise at what she had said.

"Don't _ever_ say that name around me again," she warned, her voice trembling slightly.

"Rui is nothing like him," Shiuzka continued, ignoring her protest and taking a few steps toward her as she continued to speak. "Rui genuinely cares for those closest to him, and he would _never_ hurt anyone unless they hurt the people he holds dear."

"It doesn't really matter though, does it?" Erika asked, smiling a bit sadly. "I'm sure he's already made his mind up about me."

"That's why you need to go apologize to him for what happened out there," Shizuka repeated again.

Erika averted her gaze, thinking about what Shizuka had said. In all fairness, she was being just as bad as Rui. She hardly knew him, and she was letting her preconceived notions about the wealthy affect her opinions of him. He really did seem like a nice guy, albeit a bit on the quiet side, and except for him thinking she was a slut, he was always kind to her. He had even said she looked nice at the party, before he dragged Shizuka away.

"I should probably apologize to you, too," she said, grimacing a bit as she remembered her own misunderstanding of the relationship between Rui and Shizuka.

"What for?" Shizuka asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"Well, when you and Rui went off together last night, and you never came back... I kinda thought... maybe you two were..."

Shizuka blinked as what she was saying slowly became clear to her and laughed heartily, giving the other girl a hug.

"Oh, Erika, I'm so sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to abandon you like that. Rui just needed to talk to me about some family problems he was having. I _did_ come back, but Soujiroh said you were spending time with Shigeru, so I wanted to let you two get to know each other better."

"You brat!" Erika scolded her, smacking her shoulder. "Do you have _any_ idea how hyper that girl is? I mean, she's nice and everything, but... she just _would not_ stop talking."

Shizuka laughed in reply. "She's quite the character. But, to address your earlier concern: No, I have no, nor will I ever sleep with Rui. It would be like sleeping with my little brother," she added, shuddering slightly. "Creepy."

Erika laughed, shaking her head a little, and Shizuka smiled, patting her head in a motherly way, glad she seemed to be in a better mood.

"So, are you going to apologize to him or not?"

"I will," Erika assured her with a nod. "But not right now."

"Why not?" Shizuka asked, knowing it was best if she didn't put it off.

"Because I need to get something from your house, first."

* * *

><p>Soujiroh sighed as he watched Shizuka running off after Erika, then turned his attention back to Rui. He had heard that redheads had foul tempers, but always considered it nothing more than a rumor until today. The rapidly bruising skin around Rui's left eye was physical proof in support of his personal belief that you should never, under <em>any<em> circumstances, piss off a woman - especially if that woman was a redhead, apparently.

"Dammit," Rui hissed as he gingerly touched the area around his eye, checking to see if there was any swelling. He didn't think the bone was broken, but a swollen black eye was the last thing he needed with the dates his father had arranged coming up. He didn't want to go in the first place, and the last thing he needed was an obvious injury for the girls to fuss over.

"It doesn't look _too_ bad," Soujiroh told him, attempting to make him feel better. Rui looked at him, saw how strained his smile looked, and knew that he was lying.

"It's already bruising, isn't it?" he asked, his tone of voice telling his friend he wanted nothing less than a straight answer.

"Yeah, it is," Soujiroh admitted, laughing a bit. "You're gonna have one heck of a shiner."

Rui sighed and bent down to pick up his racquet, which he dropped after getting hit, rolling his shoulder which has _also_ been hit and was starting to stiffen up a bit.

"What the hell is her problem today?" he asked, furrowing his brow as he stared off in the direction the girls had gone as they headed back inside.

"She's pissed at you for thinking she and I slept together," Soujiroh told him, slinging his own retrieved racquet over his shoulder with a sigh.

"I never said that," Rui said, looking at him.

"She asked why you were acting so weird when we got here, so I told her."

"And what makes _you_ think that's the case?" Rui asked.

"I've known you since we were kids, man," Soujiroh replied with a chuckle. "I can tell what's causing your moods, for the most part. And you've never exactly tried to hide your disdain for my chosen lifestyle."

Rui sighed again, once more staring off in the direction Erika had gone, suddenly feeling like the biggest jerk on the face of the planet. He really hadn't been able to believe that she was capable of having a fling with Soujiroh, but he had let his imagination get the best of him anyway instead of asking either one of them what had been going on.

"You two didn't really sleep together, did you?" he asked a bit sheepishly.

"No, we didn't," Soujiroh told him.

"Then what about the way you two were hanging all over each other on the balcony?" Rui wondered, needing some sort of an explanation for the exchange he had witnessed.

"She was _drunk_, Rui," Soujiroh answered with a hearty laugh. "The girl could barely stand on her own, and I was holding her up to keep her from falling on her face."

"It looked to me like you were kissing her, though," Rui added, remembering the way Soujiroh had bent down toward Erika and how lifted her face up toward his in return.

"What?" Soujiroh asked in disbelief. "Rui, you're insane, coming up with things like that. Did you actually _see_ me kissing her?"

"Well, no," Rui admitted. "I just saw you bending down and her looking up at you, and I though..." He trailed off, shrugging helplessly and feeling even more like a fool.

"Rui Hanazawa, are you... _jealous_?" Soujiroh teased him, laughing again.

"Wh-what?" Rui asked, shocked by the accusation.

"So _that's_ why you were acting like that," Soujiroh continued, laughing even more at the expression on the other boy's face. "You wanted her for yourself and hated that you once again got beat to the punch."

"Don't be ridiculous," Rui berated him. "I only just met the girl, what... a week ago? I don't know her nearly well enough to feel anything for her. I was just shocked by how easily you hooked her in after the way she almost went off on you for questioning her about her sex life." He also wondered if maybe the stress his father had him under had caused his judgment to be impaired, but he wasn't about to go telling Soujiroh of the arrangements that were being made concerning his future - not yet, anyway.

"Fair enough," Soujiroh conceded. He couldn't help but notice that Rui seemed to have been actually considering the suggestion, though.

"You know," he added, "you should probably talk to her. Let her know you don't _really_ think she's a slut. Otherwise, she might continue abusing you with sporting equipment."

Rui laughed a bit, shaking his head at Soujiroh's lame joke. He knew he had a point, though. If nothing else, the misunderstanding was bound to put a strain on his relationship with Shizuka, since she seemed to be good friends with Erika. Taking a deep breath, he swallowed his pride and made his way back into the tennis club, fully intent on apologizing to Erika and making amends with both girls.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Rui sat in one of the over-sized picture windows in his bedroom, as usual, his eyes closed as the late afternoon sun shone on his face. One of his legs was stretched out before him, the other danging over the edge of the windowsill, and he had an open book resting in one hand. He had tried reading, but his mind kept floating back to the events earlier in the day. Even as Erika had been pelting him with tennis balls, he had detected something on her face – a look that was more disappointment than anger. He hadn't really given it much thought, at the time, but in retrospect it seemed like she was using her infuriated actions as a mask to hide her true feelings.

He had felt incredibly guilty, once he figured out that the _he_ was the one to blame for her behavior, not to mention incredibly foolish for having made assumptions about someone he barely knew based solely on the typical patterns of Soujiroh's dating habits. As soon as he figured out what an ass he'd been, he immediately wanted to apologize to her, but he failed to do so. It wasn't his fault, though. He had gone back into the main building of the tennis club to find her, but Shizuka had informed him that Erika had gone back to the Todo estate. Rui momentarily considered going there to apologize, but figured it might be better if he gave her the rest of the afternoon to cool off before attempting to patch things up with her.

Sighing heavily, Rui opened his eyes and resumed his reading. Just as he began getting back into the story, though, there was a knock on his bedroom door. Glancing curiously in the direction of the door, he told whoever it was that they could come in, but he received no reply. After waiting a bit, he wondered if maybe he had just been hearing things and turned his attention to his book once more just as another knock sounded. Once more he bid the person to enter, but once more no one came in. Frustrated at this little game, he set his book down and stood from his seat in the window, walking across the room to open the door himself. He fully expected to see Tsukasa or perhaps Soujiroh and Akira standing on the other side, snickering away at the thought of interrupting one of his quiet moments he so cherished. When he peered out into the hallway, however, he was met with an unexpected sight: Erika was standing before him, holding a small, square case and smiling a bit sheepishly.

"Hi," she said, lifting one hand to give him a small, awkward wave.

"Hello," Rui replied, bowing his head slightly, still a bit stunned. He had been fully annoyed before opening the door, but now he understood why she hadn't come in when he told her to. She didn't understand much Japanese, after all.

"May I come in?" Erika asked when he made no move. "Or am I interrupting something?"

Rui blinked, following her gaze as she teasingly tried to look around him and into the bedroom. It reminded him of Soujiroh, in a way. His friend often teased him, knowing he was less experienced in certain areas.

"I was just reading," Rui explained to her, quickly stepping aside to show her the empty bed. "Please, come in."

Erika smiled as she walked past him and into the bedroom, casting a sideways glance in his direction. He was blushing, but she decided not to say anything about it in order to spare him any further embarrassment. Instead, she made her way over to the small table just inside the door and sat her case down on its perfectly polished surface, opening the locks on the front with an audible snap.

"What brings you here?" Rui asked, closing the door behind her and making his way over to where she was standing, watching over her shoulder as she opened the case and removed some brushes and several small boxes and tubes.

"Consider this a sort of peace offering," Erika replied, turning to look at him as she held up a couple of the tubes of coloring next to his face. She frowned a bit and put one of them down, exchanging it for another and holding it up to his face, as well.

"What are you doing?" Rui wondered, both curious and a little freaked out by the way she was looking at him.

"I'm trying to match your skin tone," she explained, switching out the tube in her hand for the first one again and sighing a bit. "Guess I'll just try mixing these two."

Rui was about to open his mouth and ask her what she was going on about when she opened the tube in her hands and squeezed some of the colored paste onto the back of her hand, then mixed in some of the coloring from the second tube before holding her hand up next to his face. He flinched slightly when her hand brushed against his bruised skin, and Erika smiled apologetically and she leaned closer to him for a better look. Rui felt odd, being under such a scrutinizing gaze, but he was even more curious about the way his heart had suddenly sped up when she moved closer to him.

"That's better," Erika said after a moment, grinning with satisfaction as she began arranging the things she had taken out of the case across the tabletop. "Why don't you have a seat?"

"What, exactly, are you planning to do here?" Rui asked as he sat down in the chair closest to him. Erika looked at him as if she thought it would be obvious what she was up to, causing him to feel even more clueless.

"This is makeup, Rui," she explained to him, gesturing to the things she had laid out. "I work as a freelance makeup artist in Paris. That's how Shizuka and I met, on one of her photo shoots."

"And why are you going to put it on me?" he wondered, hoping she wasn't about to exact more revenge upon him by turning him into some sort of drag queen.

"I'm going to help you hide _that_," Erika informed him, pointing to his black eye.

"Oh," Rui simply said, feeling a bit like a dunce for not being able to figure out her intentions on his own.

"I figured, an heir to one of the richest families in Japan probably doesn't want to have to go around explaining to everyone that he was pelted with tennis balls by some hot-tempered American girl."

Rui laughed a bit, watching as she mixed more of the two separate colors of makeup on the back of her hand, her lips slightly pursed in concentration as she attempted to match the original color she had come up with.

"Have you been doing this long?" he asked her, deciding to break the slightly awkward silence between them with some small talk.

"Since I moved to Paris," Erika answered. "It's just another form of art. I've been told I have an eye for color, so..." She shrugged a bit, turning her attention back to him as she picked up a small, triangle-shaped sponge off the table. "Now hold still, okay?"

Rui nodded in agreement as she dabbed at the makeup on the back of her hand with the corner of the sponge, but still pulled away sharply when that same corner made contact with his skin. He apologized and moved closer to her once more, but again flinched away when she attempted to apply the makeup to his black eye.

"Stop being such a baby," Erika scolded him. "I'd expect this sort of behavior from someone like Tsukasa, but I figured you were more mature than him."

Rui laughed and apologized once more, wincing but not pulling away when she began applying the makeup to his skin. Surprisingly, it actually felt good after the initial contact. The makeup itself was smooth and a bit cooling on his bruised skin, and her touch was extremely gentle. It made him think of his mother. Or, rather, what he imagined his mother would have been like had she not entrusted his care to the various nannies he had running about the house as a child.

After a few minutes, he found his eyes moving to Erika's face, watching her expression as she worked. Her blue eyes were squinted slightly, her gaze intently fixed on the area around his eye, and her lips were pursed a little in concentration. Rui found his eyes lingering on her lips, admiring their fullness and the way they shined with a touch of pink gloss. Erika sighed softly after a moment, her lips parting a bit as the sound escaped them, and Rui quickly averted his eyes, choosing instead to stare at the tabletop before him.

He really didn't understand why he was acting like a junior high school boy experiencing his first bout of infatuation with a girl. For one thing, it wasn't like he didn't have _any_ experience with girls. He had made out with his own fair share of them – although not nearly the same number as Soujiroh or Akira. He supposed it was nothing more than a simple fascination with her appearance, considering that nearly all of the girls he had ever known were Japanese, like himself. A few of them had had red hair like hers, but it was obviously dyed, whereas hers appeared to be natural. It gave her an even more exotic air, and the way the light hit it and made the various shades of copper and mahogany shimmer was definitely something that had caught his eye when they first met.

"Rui?"

Rui blinked a few times as he suddenly realized he had been staring at her again. Erika laughed at his startled expression, and he blushed a bit as he muttered an apology.

"What do you think?" she asked him, and he noticed that she was holding up a small mirror to allow him to look at himself.

As his eyes focused on the image of his face reflected in the mirror's surface, he let out a small, surprised gasp. There was no longer any evidence of the black eye he had been sporting prior to her arrival, and if he hadn't experienced receiving it himself, he probably never would have known it was even there. Erika laughed as he grabbed the mirror from her hand, bringing it closer to his face to get a better look as he ran his fingers over the slightly swollen area around his eye.

"I guess that means you like it," she said as she began gathering up her things and placing them back into the case.

"How did you do that?" Rui asked, lowering the mirror to look at her in amazement. "It's like magic."

"I told you I have an eye for color," Erika reminded him, blushing at his compliment and taking the mirror from his hand to place it with her other tools. "Now, when you need to reapply, just mix two parts of this darker shade with one part of the lighter shade and apply liberally."

"Huh?" Rui asked, looking a bit confused as she handed him the two tubes of makeup she had used on him.

"Well, you don't expect me to come here every time you need a touch-up, do you?" she asked in reply, trying to keep a straight face as he continued staring at her like a startled child. After a bit she became unable to hold in her laughter any longer and erupted in a fit of giggles as she took the makeup back from him and unscrewed the cap on each tube.

"I guess it can't be helped," she said with a mock sigh as she rummaged around in her case, pulling out a small, round container after a bit of searching. "I'll mix up the colors for you, but _you_ will have to apply the final product yourself. Understood?"

Rui laughed a bit, nodding in agreement and watching her carefully measure out the two different colors of makeup before grabbing some sort of orange stick out of the case and mixing the two of them together. Once she appeared to be satisfied with the mixture, she screwed the top onto the container and handed it to him. Rui nodded politely, thanking her quietly as he took the container from her. Erika smiled at him and finished packing her things into her case, snapping the clasps on the front back into place with a small sigh.

"I'm really sorry about everything," Rui spoke up after a bit, breaking the comfortable and yet awkward silence that had suddenly appeared between them.

"No, _I'm_ sorry," Erika apologized, turning to face him once more. "I let my temper get out of control, and you got hurt."

"_You_ got hurt too, though," Rui pointed out. "I never should have made any assumptions about you and Soujiroh. I was too quick to judge you, and I apologize."

"Apology accepted," Erika told him, smirking a bit. "And don't let it happen again, or next time I'll break your nose."

Rui laughed as she gave him a teasing wink, feeling like a great, dark curtain had been lifted between them. A part of him had worried that maybe she would have held his actions against him for the rest of her time in Japan, but it seemed like she was as happy as he was to make amends. He was about to thank her for being so understanding when a picture popped into his mind of Yuki's face from the night before.

"Um... You know," he started, scratching the back of his head, "I wasn't the only person who saw you two leaving together last night."

"Oh?" Erika prompted, tilting her head slightly to one side.

"Tsukushi's friend, Yuki... she saw you two leaving, too, and... well... She seemed pretty upset about it."

Erika sighed heavily, slumping down in one of the other chairs at the small table.

"Just great... Yuki is in love with him, and now _she_ thinks we're sleeping together, too."

"So what are you going to do?" Rui wondered, nearly reaching for her hand to give it a comforting squeeze but stopping himself short, choosing instead to cross his arms tightly over his chest. "You should probably go talk to her and explain the situation."

"No," Erika replied, shaking her head. "I'm not going to talk to her."

"But if you don't, she'll just continue to think that you and Soujiroh-"

"She doesn't need to hear it from me," Erika stated, cutting him off as she stood up again, grabbing her case off the table and heading for the door of his room.

"Where are you going?" Rui called after her, turning in his chair.

"To see Soujiroh."


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: We finally have some Soujiroh/Yuki action in this chapter! I can't promise that there will be a lot more "on-screen" action of the two of them in this story, but there will definitely be mentions, at the very least. As for Rui and Erika... their relationship should start really taking off in the next chapter or two. So stay tuned!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Ten<span>

Erika looked about curiously as she followed one of the servants through the Nishikado household, even more in awe of this home than she had been of Shizuka's. While the Todo estate was quite grand, this was the first time she had ever been in a traditional Japanese building of any sort. She had seen pictures in magazines of such homes, but no amount of photographs could have done justice to such a finely crafted building. Unlike Shizuka's western-style home, Soujiroh's family estate felt like it had been painstakingly crafted by hand. Everything, from the tatami flooring to the intricately carved wooden accents of each room, held an air of being lovingly and painstakingly placed in _just_ the right part of the house. It brought a sense of calm to Erika, much unlike the nervous feeling she often experienced in Shizuka's sprawling mansion.

"Nishikado-bocchan, you have a visitor," the elderly maid announced in broken English as she stopped before an open doorway along the walkway they had been traveling. Erika tore her gaze away from the peaceful garden in the center courtyard and smiled appreciatively at the woman, nodding politely in thanks as the maid stepped aside and gestured for her to enter the room.

Soujiroh looked up from his tea-making and blinked in surprise as Erika stepped into the room, her hands folded awkwardly in front of her and a slight blush creeping across her cheeks. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of the blush – he had always had a bit of a weakness for shy girls. Although this side of Erika was quite unlike the spitfire he had seen in action earlier that day at the tennis club.

"Please, sit," he requested, bowing slightly as he motioned for her to take a seat across from him. "Can I offer you some tea?"

"Sure," Erika replied as she sat on the floor, tucking her feet under her. She watched as he carefully prepared the tea, mesmerized by the great care he took in each step. It was nothing like the way she prepared tea at home. There were no teabags, no whistling kettle, no squat little cups with delicate-looking handles on miniature plates, and each step was carried out with such precision that it almost seemed a shame to have to consume the final product after all the work he was putting into it.

"Here you are," Soujiroh announced as he handed her a small ceramic bowl, bowing slightly. Erika bowed in return as she took the bowl from him, then simply stared at its contents.

"Something wrong?" he asked her after a moment.

"I'm not exactly sure how to do this," she admitted quietly. Soujiroh chuckled a bit and lifted his own bowl to demonstrate for her.

"Place one hand flat on the bottom, like this," he instructed, nodding when Erika copied him. "Turn the bowl slowly, a little at a time, until the front is facing away from you."

"Like this?" Erika asked as she followed his lead.

"Just like that," Soujiroh replied with a smile. "Now, bring the bowl up with the hand underneath and drink."

Erika nodded and did as he advised, taking a deep sip of the hot tea. As soon as the liquid hit her tongue, she flinched away from the bowl, swallowing quickly as her face scrunched up in distaste.

"Not to your liking?" Soujiroh asked, laughing at her expression.

"Needs sugar," she replied, slowly turning the bowl back to its original position before handing it back to him.

"I admit, it's an acquired taste," he told her as he took the bowl back with a wink. "Even for the Japanese."

Erika couldn't help but smile at him. He really did seem like a rather nice person, and she was beginning to see why so many women had fallen victim to his charms. The fact that he _hadn't_ tried to take advantage of her drunken state had earned him major points in her book, but it still wasn't enough to make up for his constant, obvious flirting.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" he asked her as he continued with his tea making, his eyelids drooping slightly as his voice took on a deeper, more sensual tone. Erika rolled her eyes at the ease with which he shifted into seduction mode, wondering if he even realized he was doing it.

"I came to talk to you about Yuki," she informed him.

"What about her?" he asked, his attention firmly focused on his tea.

"You _know_ she likes you."

"She's never really tried to hide it," Soujiroh stated in an even tone. "Even if she has yet to approach me and confess her feelings, it's obvious in her actions."

"And she thinks that you and I had sex."

Soujiroh's head snapped up at that remark, his eyes wide open and staring at her in what she thought might actually be a look of horror.

"I'm not sure if that look means you're concerned about her feelings or if I should take it as an insult," Erika joked, forcing a smile.

"What makes you think-"

"_She_ saw us leaving the party together, too," Erika answered before he could finish the question. "Rui said she seemed pretty upset."

Soujiroh looked away from her again, remaining completely silent for a while before speaking quietly.

"How upset?"

"He said she was crying." Erika knew Rui hadn't actually said anything about Yuki crying, but she also knew that if she had been in the other girl's shoes she wouldn't have been able to hold back any tears. "So I would say she's pretty upset about it."

Soujiroh sighed deeply as he set down his tea-making implements before looking over at her.

"I don't know how to deal with this," he admitted a bit sheepishly, his usual abundance of self-confidence visibly wavering before her eyes. Erika smiled a bit, thinking he looked like a little boy who had just been told by a girl that she has a crush on him.

"The question is," she stated simply, "how would _you_ like to deal with it?"

"What do you mean?" Soujiroh asked, sitting up a bit straighter, paying careful attention to what she was about to say.

"The way I see it," Erika explained, "you can do one of two things. You can just ignore everything I've said and leave things the way they are, which will pretty much guarantee that Yuki will avoid both of us for the rest of the summer, and possibly avoid _you_ for the rest of her natural life. _Or_, you could go tell her the truth – that you and I never slept together – and maybe even offer to make amends by taking her out on a date."

"A date?" Soujiroh echoed, his eyes going a bit wide at the suggestion. Sure, he liked Yuki enough, and she wasn't really all that bad-looking, but he had never once entertained the idea of actually going out on a _date_ with her. After all, he didn't _go_ on dates. His 'dates' were nothing more than an elaborately planned scheme to get whatever girl he was with into bed with him.

"Yes, Soujiroh, a _date_. And don't even think of trying to have sex with her, either. Not right away, at least. Show her you can respect her and not treat her like just another piece of ass. Trust me, she'll appreciate it a _lot_ more than if you were to try to take her to bed."

Soujiroh laughed a bit, shaking his head. The girl had only met him a week ago, and she already had his M.O. figured out. He wondered if maybe he was losing his touch, especially considering how easily she had called him out on his initial flirting. Perhaps he needed to work on being more subtle with his approach. It made him wonder if she was on the right track, suggesting he go out on a date with Yuki. If his mind wasn't set on that one final goal, maybe he would be able to better hone his skills for luring in the catch.

"Stop that," Erika said in a demanding voice.

"Stop what?" Soujiroh asked innocently.

"I know that look," she replied. "You're thinking about how you can twist this situation around to benefit your libido."

"I am not!" Soujiroh denied her accusation.

"Liar," Erika said, smirking a bit. "Look, you don't have to believe me if you don't want to... But even the loosest girls appreciate a guy who care about more than just getting into their pants."

Soujiroh sighed. "You're not going to let this go until I agree to set things straight with Yuki, are you?"

"No," Erika replied, smirking even more. "I'm not."

* * *

><p>Soujiroh sat in the back seat of his private car, looking pensively out the tinted window at Yuki's house. He knew she wasn't at home – he had instructed his driver to take him past the dango shop and as he gazed in through the front window on the way by he had found her standing behind the counter, talking with Tsukushi. He had momentarily contemplated just going home, but Erika's words kept nagging at him. He knew that setting things straight with Yuki was the right thing to do, but he still had no clue how to go about doing just that. Not even the past two hours of contemplation had shed any light on the situation for him.<p>

Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the soft leather seat. No matter how many women he had been with in the past, he was sure that he would never fully understand them. They were puzzles more complex than even the most learned man could decipher, at times. The rest of the time, they tended to be clingy, needy masses that demanded declarations of love at the most inopportune moments. Sometimes he wished for a woman who was exactly like him: looking for a good time without the need for a commitment. If he were to be totally honest with himself, though, what he really wanted was to find someone he could share everything with: his hopes, his fears, his dreams, _and_ his bed.

In order to _find_ someone like that, though, he would more than likely have to change his ways... and that was easier said than done. The _one_ time he had allowed himself to open his heart to someone, he had gotten burned. Granted, that had more or less been his own fault – since he had assumed she was in love with his brother and convinced himself she couldn't possibly have any feelings for him when, in fact, she did – but her rejection when he had tried to tell him how he truly felt about her had hurt, all the same.

_"In order to experience the good things in life, you have to be willing to risk experiencing the bad."_

Soujiroh closed his eyes and banged his head against the window, sighing heavily as Erika's parting words reverberated in his mind. As much as he hated admitting it, she had pretty much hit just the right nerve with that final phrase. Deep down, he knew he was acting like a coward. He was afraid of taking a risk and getting hurt again. The loverboy act was just that – an act designed to keep him emotionally detached and unavailable. He wouldn't deny that he enjoyed it, though... but something definitely felt missing, as of late.

Sighing again, he opened his eyes and raised his head just in time to see Yuki approaching. For a moment he simply watched her, studying her face as she dug in her bag for her keys. She really was quite pretty, if a little plain compared to the girls he usually dated. She might not be the most glamorous girl, but he knew she had a big heart and would do anything to help those she cared about in a time of crisis. That was worlds more than he could say for the vain and selfish girls that normally flocked to his side.

After stalling for a while, he finally got out of the car before he could lose his nerve and walked up behind her, grabbing her arm. Yuki squeaked in surprise as she turned around, raising her hands up in fists before her face in a gesture that he assumed must have been meant to scare off an attacker. Soujiroh chuckled at how unconvincing her so-called threatening stance was, and she promptly hit him in the shoulder with her bag.

"What the hell?" she yelled at him, frowning. "I thought you were some sort of pervert!"

"I apologize," Soujiroh replied, bowing slightly, still grinning at her. Yuki huffed a bit in reply and turned away from him.

"What do you want?" she mumbled, annoyed.

"We need to talk."

"We do?" she asked, her eyes flickering to him briefly in confusion before looking away away again. "About what?"

Soujiroh sighed and reached up, taking her face in both hands and forcing her to look at him. Yuki refused to meet his eyes, and so he found himself crouching down into an awkward position in order to force her to make eye contact with him.

"I didn't sleep with Erika," he told her.

"And I'm supposed to believe that coming from _you_?" Yuki retorted.

"She was _drunk_," he continued without missing a beat, ignoring her snide comment. "Neither one of us was having a very good time at the party, so I took her back to Shizuka's place and then I went home."

"Again... I'm supposed to believe this?"

"Yuki," Soujiroh sighed in frustration, standing back up to his full height and raking a hand back through his dark hair. "I know I can't _make_ you believe me, but I need you to _trust_ me."

Yuki remained silent for a while, and Soujiroh wondered if she was looking for just the right insult to throw at him before storming off. He was surprised when she finally looked up into his eyes and he actually felt a pang of regret at seeing the tears that were threatening to fall.

"I'm done, Soujiroh," she told him quietly. "I'm tired of waiting for something that's never going to happen. I can't keep letting myself get all worked up every time I see you with another girl."

"Yuki-chan-"

"I really shouldn't even have bothered in the first place, I guess," she continued, forcing herself to smile. "I guess... I was just hoping that my dreams could come true, like Tsukushi's did."

Soujiroh watched her silently, unsure of what he should do or say. The way she was smiling in spite of the tears made his heart feel like it was being put through a wringer, much like the way he had felt once before when he had found her wandering the streets after discovering her boyfriend had been cheating on her. He hadn't known how to deal with her then, and he sure as hell didn't know any better now.

So he did the only thing he knew how do to.

Taking a deep breath to steel himself for a possible backlash, Soujiroh grabbed Yuki's hand and pulled her closer to him as his other hand deftly tilted her chin upward to give him easier access as his lips came down firmly upon hers. He felt every muscle in her body stiffen at the contact, no doubt taken by surprise at his actions, but after the initial shock wore off she gradually relaxed into his embrace. She took a step closer to him, returning the kiss as she grabbed his jacket with her free hand, holding on so tight he thought she might be afraid she would fall if not for his presence. They remained like that for several long seconds, and then Soujiroh suddenly pulled away from her, leaving Yuki blinking in confusion.

"I'm not very good at this whole boyfriend thing," he told her sincerely, still holding her gaze with his own. "I can't make you any promises, but I can try. Will that be good enough for you?"

Yuki nodded her head mutely, still in a mild state of shock from him kissing her.

"So it's settled, then," he continued, smiling. He didn't really know what else to say, so he nodded a bit as he searched for the words. When his mind continued to draw a blank, he kissed her briefly again before releasing her and slowly backing up toward his waiting car.

"Well, then... Have a good night," he called to her, feeling a bit embarrassed. Normally when he was with a girl, the words flowed easily out of him. But somehow, with her, he was uncharacteristically tongue-tied.

"Good night!" Yuki managed to call after him as he got into his car, giving her a small wave before the driver closed the door for him. She continued standing there, watching as he was taken away, raising her hand to her lips and smiling to herself at the fresh memory of his kiss. She knew he had said he couldn't promise her anything, but he was willing to try. And for Yuki, that would be enough.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Rui sighed deeply and discretely checked his watch for the second time in the past ten minutes before stifling a yawn with his hand. He leaned even more heavily against the palm that was currently supporting his head, returning his attention to the girl seated across from him at the small cafe table as he once more resumed stirring his tea absent-mindedly, feigning interest in her vapid ramblings. So far, she had covered the topics of her recent shopping spree while vacationing in the Bahamas and her trip to the spa earlier that morning, and she had just breached the topic of her overly-extravagant idea of the 'perfect, fairy-tale wedding.' Rui rolled his eyes a bit, wishing this nightmare would come to an end as soon as possible.

It was the second 'date' his father had arranged for him since demanding he choose a bride, and as if it wasn't bad enough that he was being forced to court these mindless princesses for an afternoon, he also discovered that his father had _told_ them he was looking to marry. Dating girls under normal circumstances was bad enough, because they always had these secret dreams of becoming the future Mrs. Rui Hanazawa and living out the rest of their lives in the lap of luxury. The fact that they _knew_ they actually had a chance at achieving that dream just made them even more eager to get their hands on the prize.

Rui vaguely wondered if the girl he was with ever needed to breathe as she kept going on and on, talking non-stop about flower arrangements and dresses for her future bridal party. He cringed a bit when she said she wanted her bridesmaids to wear orange dresses, a mental picture of walking pumpkins flashing through his mind. As she continued blabbering on, he felt his eyelids beginning to droop out of boredom and decided to change his position in an attempt to revive himself. Without thinking, he switched the hand he was resting his head against and ended up putting pressure on his bruised eye. Before he could stop himself, he winced audibly, causing his date to stop rambling and focus her attention on him, fawning over him and asking if he was okay. Rui brushed her off, telling her his arm had merely fallen asleep and that he would be fine in a moment. That seemed to appease her worries, and in no time she was off once more, babbling about the reception and catering.

Rui sighed and closed his eyes, trying to tune out her voice, and found himself thinking of Erika. She really had saved him that day when she came to help him hide the bruise on his face. Granted, it was her fault he had been injured in the first place, but he honestly did appreciate her taking the effort to make it up to him. He really supposed he should give being friends with her another shot, for the sake of his relationship with Shizuka, if nothing else. She seemed to be quite fond of the girl, after all, and Rui knew first-hand how deep her loyalty ran when it came to her friends. If he didn't at least _try_ to be friendly toward Erika, it would likely end up causing him grief.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sensation of his phone vibrating in his pocket. Thankful for the distraction, he excused himself from the table without even looking to see who was calling him – quite frankly, he wouldn't have _cared_ who was calling so long as it gave him an excuse to leave. His date nodded when he told her he had to take the call, finally falling silent as she watched him retreat to a more secluded area of the cafe where she couldn't see him.

Rui was pleasantly surprised when he finally looked at the caller display and found that Shizuka was the person calling him. Smiling a bit to himself, he answered the call and brought the phone to his ear.

"I was just thinking about you," he told her, laughing a bit.

"That's rather inappropriate, isn't it?" Shizuka asked him, playfully. "Thinking about another woman while you're on a date."

Rui groaned a bit. "How did you find out?"

"I called your house, first. One of the servants told me you were out with a girl."

Rui sighed heavily, glancing over at his date. "I'll give you whatever you want if you just get me out of this right now."

"Funny you should say that," Shizuka replied, and he could _hear_ the smirk in her voice. "I need a date for the opening of the new wing of the art gallery tomorrow night."

"I'll do it," Rui told her without hesitation. With his luck, he knew his father was probably already trying to set him up with someone else to attend the event with, but he wouldn't be able to argue with him if Rui said he already _had_ a date. He just wouldn't tell him it was with Shizuka.

"Great!" Shizuka exclaimed. "Meet me at the museum at 7:30, then."

"You don't want me to pick you up?" Rui asked, furrowing his brow in confusion. Normally, when they attended events together, they went _together_.

"I have a prior engagement to attend before the opening," she explained.

Rui nodded a bit and agreed to meet her at the museum, then disconnected the call and stood quietly for a moment as he mentally rehearsed what he planned to say to his date. He supposed he could just give her a vague excuse, and if she asked for details he could tell her one of his friends needed him. He knew they would cover for him, in the event that his father should start snooping around to see if he really _did_ have a crisis to attend to and make sure he wasn't just ditching the girl.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and returned to the table, standing behind his chair and making no move to reclaim the seat. His date looked up at him, still smiling, but he could see in her eyes that she knew what was coming.

"I'm truly sorry," he apologized in his most sincere tone of voice. "I'm afraid I must be going."

"Is everything okay?" she asked, and Rui almost cringed at how obviously fake her concern was. The only thing she really cared about was that her time with him was coming abruptly to an end.

"Tsukasa is having another case of cold feet," he answered without hesitation, deciding that was likely the most realistic excuse he could come up with. After all, he _had_ been having a bit of a problem with his nerves since before the engagement party.

The girl nodded and Rui bowed slightly to her, thanking her for her company, then made a hasty retreat before she could say anything else that would force him to stick around and continue making polite conversation. He waited until he was in the safe confines of his car before finally calling Tsukasa, knowing he would need his friend's cooperation to make his escape a success.

"Hey, Rui! What's up?" Tsukasa said as he answered the phone, causing a startled laugh to escape from Rui's lips. It was rare he sounded so cheerful when answering his phone, and it usually had something to do with Tsukushi.

"You seem to be in a good mood," he pointed out, still smiling.

"I got it!" Tsukasa replied in a loud whisper, and Rui could tell he was grinning triumphantly.

"Got what?" Rui asked, laughing again.

"The biggest, most wonderful ring in all of Japan," Tsukasa explained excitedly.

"Tsukasa," Rui groaned, sighing a bit. "She told you she didn't _want_ a ring, remember?"

"It doesn't matter," he replied, stubbornly. "She should still have one."

"She's going to hate it," Rui argued.

"How do you know? It was chosen by the Almighty Me. She _has_ to love it."

Rui sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers. It looked like he really _was_ going to have to go see Tsukasa to avert a crisis, after all. Otherwise, he would be left picking up the pieces of his mangled body after Tsukushi beat him over the head with whatever rock he had bought her.

"Why don't I meet you and you can show me the ring?" he suggested.

"Alright," Tsukasa agreed. "But you'll see, it's perfect for her."

"And if I say it's not?" Rui asked. "Will you agree to return it and get her something a little less... flashy?"

Tsukasa sighed heavily, but eventually he agreed to Rui's terms. Although he hated to admit it, he knew Rui was better aware of Tsukushi's tastes than he was. Not for lack for knowledge, however. He knew all about what she liked and disliked. He just had a nasty habit of allowing his _own_ tastes to over-ride what he knew to be preferable to her. He didn't see that as a big deal, really. He was just trying to provide what he thought was the best of everything for her. She was his tough weed, and he felt she deserved nothing less than the best. However, he had to admit that letting his ego get the best of his decision-making process had gotten him into hot water more than a few times with her.

"I'll be there in about ten minutes," Rui told him, drawing him out of his thoughts. Tsukasa gave him a small grunt in acknowledgment before disconnecting the call, then continued sulking. They weren't even married yet, and he was already messing things up. Maybe Rui had been wrong before. Maybe he really _didn't_ have what it took to be a good husband to Tsukushi.

_Maybe..._

Tsukasa's eyes went wide as he suddenly realized what had been bothering him most of all: Maybe she would be better off without him.

* * *

><p>Erika frowned at the blank canvas standing before her. She knew she had to paint <em>something<em> over the summer for her project, but nothing was striking her as a suitable subject. She supposed she could just pick a random vase of flowers from the mansion and paint those, or she could probably set up her easel outside and instead paint a panoramic scene of the grounds surrounding the building. Either way, though, she knew the work would be somewhat mediocre and the piece would only end up getting her a passing grade rather than the high marks both she and her professors knew she was capable of achieving.

"Lacking inspiration?" Shizkua asked as she entered the room, hands clasped behind her back as she wandered over to where Erika was standing.

"Got any ideas?" Erika asked, gesturing toward the white space before her.

"Why don't you paint a portrait of your mother?" Shizuka suggested. Erika shook her head in reply.

"I can't. I would never do her justice."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Erika," Shizuka told her, reaching over and placing a hand reassuringly on her shoulder. "You're very talented. And even if it doesn't look _exactly_ like her, I'm sure that your mother will still love it. And you will have immortalized her memory for generations to come. "

Erika sighed heavily and laid her brush down on the table she had dragged over to place next to her easel, resting the paint pallet next to it before turning to Shizuka.

"Maybe I'm just thinking _too_ hard. If I take a break and try not to dwell on the task at hand, something will come to me."

"That sounds like a plan," Shizuka said with a smile. "I think I may be able to help, too."

"Oh?" Erika asked, quirking an eyebrow in curiosity.

"There's a gallery opening tomorrow night that I was thinking we could attend. Maybe it'll help get your creative juices flowing."

Erika groaned a bit at the idea. "I don't know, Shizuka... I mean, I would _love_ to go, but..."

"But?" Shizuka prompted, although she had a good idea what she was trying to say.

"It's going to be another one of those stuffy, high-society events, isn't it?"

"Well, it _is_ black-tie, but trust me, Erika... those who are involved in the arts tend to be a bit more open-minded than those who merely attend dinner parties in order to brag about their latest acquisitions and investments."

Erika sighed a bit as she considered the offer, then gave Shizuka a slightly nod in agreement.

"Might as well go," she conceded. "I don't have anything else to do, and like you said: maybe being around all that artwork will give me an idea for this project."

"Wonderful," Shizuka said, smiling at her. "We'll go to the spa in the morning, then."

"Huh?" Erika asked, blinking. "You never said anything about _that_, Shizuka."

"Well, you seem a bit tense, so I figured you could use some pampering," she explained. "So we'll spend the day getting ourselves spoiled with massages and manicures, and then we'll go shopping to buy you a dress before the event."

"_More_ shopping?" Erika groaned. "Can't I just wear something you already have?"

"No, you can't. It won't fit."

Erika crossed her arms over her chest, frowning in defeat as she cursed herself for not being as tall as her friend, the model.

"Can I at least pick out this dress?" Erika asked, hoping for at least a little more control over the situation than last time.

"Fine," Shizuka agreed, "but it has to be formal. Remember, this is a black-tie event."

"Deal," Erika replied, holding out her hand to the other woman. Shizuka shook her hand, trying her best not to smirk in satisfaction. She had successfully set the wheels of her plan into motion. Now, all she had to do was get Erika to agree to go to the gallery opening alone, and things would all fall into place.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: Monster chapter here, lol... and Erika and Rui have their first sort-of "date." More of Yuki and Soujiroh in this chapter, for those of you who like that pair. And I slipped in a little reference to one of my favorite shows - Sex and the City.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Twelve<span>

Rui sighed a bit as he leaned against the side of his car, checking his watch. Shizuka had told him to meet her at 7:30, and it was now almost twenty minutes to eight o'clock. It was unusual for Shizuka to be late – she didn't even believe in being _fashionably_ late – so the fact that she was already ten minutes behind schedule gave him pause. He decided to give her five more minutes before calling to find out where she was. After all, he supposed there could have been a heavy amount of traffic or an accident along the way that was delaying her arrival.

Sighing again, he glanced up and breathed a sigh of relief as Shizuka's car came into view, pulling up to the curb several feet away. He pushed away from his own car and leaned down to speak to his driver through the passenger's side window, telling him he would call when he was ready to leave the event, then made his way over to Shizuka's car just as the driver was opening the back door to let her out. He smiled as he saw her stepping out of the vehicle, then froze in his tracks, blinking in confusion when Erika came completely into view. He didn't mind that she was there, he simply had expected it to just be him and Shizuka at the opening. He had hoped to be able to talk to her about his problems with his father and the arranged marriage business, but now it seemed he would have to put off that conversation until another time.

Rui watched as Erika thanked the driver, a blush rising in her cheeks as she awkwardly adjusted the wrap she had on around her shoulders. It was black, matching the dress she had on – a strapless, floor-length piece with a slit up one side that showed off her leg when she took a step away from the car as the driver closed the door behind her. Rui blinked again in surprise, wondering why Shizuka hadn't exited the vehicle behind her, then suddenly figured it out when Erika's eyes met his and she almost started laughing.

"Well, it looks like we've been tricked yet again," she said to him as she walked over to him, her tone good-natured. Rui simply nodded. Now that she was closer, he was able to better see her in the dim lighting outside of the art gallery. Her dress shimmered as she moved, the fabric clinging to her figure so well that he caught himself wondering if she was even wearing underwear. As soon as the thought entered his mind, he pushed it away, admonishing himself for having such Soujiroh-like ideas. He coughed a bit awkwardly, hoping she couldn't see his blush in the darkness, and flashed an amused smile at her.

"I should have known when she insisted on meeting me here," he admitted sheepishly.

"At least she gave _you_ fair warning. She waited until _I_ was getting into the car, then told me she 'forgot' something and ran back into the house – _after_ she told the driver to go ahead without her."

Rui chuckled, "So she completely blindsided you, huh?"

"She knew I never would have agreed to come here alone, and also that I don't know enough Japanese to tell her driver to stop and take me back to the house."

"Well, you can give her a piece of her mind once she shows up."

"I don't think she's _planning_ on showing up, Rui," Erika informed him.

"Why not?" he asked, once more confused.

"Because this was a total set-up," she told him.

"I know," Rui agreed, nodding. "She wanted us to have some time alone to get to know each other better."

"It's... a little more complicated than that," Erika corrected him. "She... Well, she wants us to... you know... date."

Rui let out a surprised laugh before he could stop himself, then shook his head a bit and smiled at her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to come across as rude or anything. I was merely... what's the word?"

"_Shocked _that she would try to set you up with a commoner?" Erika suggested.

"No, not that," Rui replied, shaking his head again. "I'm surprised she would try to set me up _at all_, really."

"Why is that?" Erika wondered. "She's not in love with you or anything."

"Yes, but she's rather protective of me," Rui explained. "She once told me she would have to approve of any girl I dated because she wouldn't want me to be with someone who was completely wrong for me."

"Just like an over-protective big sister," Erika said, smiling.

"Exactly."

Erika sighed a bit as she looked toward the entrance of the art gallery, pulling the wrap back up around her shoulders again. Rui watched her quietly, wondering what she was going to do. If she asked him to take her home, he would. Yet, a part of him hoped she didn't, though he wasn't quite sure why.

"I suppose we should head inside," she finally suggested, turning back to him. "Unless you would rather blow this whole thing off."

Rui smiled at her choice of words, shaking his head and offering her his arm. Erika smiled back at him, hesitating a moment before linking her arm through his and allowing him to lead her into the gallery. They were greeted at the door by two elderly women who were handing out maps and brochures detailing the various exhibits in the gallery. Even though the party was for the opening of an exhibit by one of the hottest new artists in Japan, the entire building was open to the guests for their viewing pleasure.

Erika released Rui's arm once they were inside, stepping aside to let those who had been behind them enter without obstruction as she opened the brochure and started looking through it. Her brow wrinkled in frustration and she frowned slightly, turning the brochure upside-down to show Rui the inside.

"Ah, yes," Rui said, stepping closer to her and looking over her shoulder at the brochure. "I didn't think of that. Would you like me to translate it for you?"

"No, don't worry about it," she replied, closing the brochure and placing it inside the map. "Why don't we just wander around and browse?"

"Alright," Rui agreed, placing a hand against the small of her back and steering her away from the crowd. He led her toward one of the newer exhibits, a collection of paintings of traditional Japanese homes, grabbing her wrist and gently pulling her in front of him as a man stumbled a bit drunkenly toward them and almost spilled his drink.

"Thanks," she told him, looking up at him over her shoulder.

"It's a bit more crowded than I thought it would be," Rui remarked, looking around at the mass of bodies in the room.

"The bar is in here," Erika pointed out. "The crowd will likely be thinner away from the booze."

Rui chuckled and placed his hand on her shoulder. The gesture was simply meant to keep her close to him so he wouldn't lose her in the crowd, but the contact of his hand on her bare skin sent an excited shiver up her spine. Erika glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, hoping he hadn't noticed her sharp intake of breath, and was surprised to find his cheeks had turned a pale shade of pink. She let out a small giggle at the sight, and his eyes immediately turned to her.

"What's funny?" he asked her, leaning down so he wouldn't have to raise his voice over the din of conversation in the room.

"You're blushing," she told him. "It's kinda cute."

Rui smiled shyly, blushing even more at the compliment, and Erika laughed again, grasping his upper arm as she moved aside to stand in front of him, allowing another couple pass them.

"Well don't you two look cozy?"

Erika and Rui both turned toward the voice and found Soujiroh walking toward them, a young woman in an elegant dress made of purple satin on his arm. Erika frowned slightly, thinking he had chosen to completely ignore her advice to him, then she took a better look at the girl and gasped a bit in surprise.

"Yuki? Is that you?"

Yuki nodded silently, looking painfully awkward in the high-class getup she was wearing. Erika excused herself and grabbed the other girl by her free arm, pulling her away from their dates so she could talk to her privately.

"Soujiroh picked my dress out," Yuki said once they were alone, her tone of voice making the statement come across like an apology of some sort.

"It looks wonderful on you, really," Erika assured her with a smile. "I honestly didn't recognize you, you look so... so... different."

Yuki continued smiling awkwardly, reaching up to touch her carefully-styled hair.

"I don't know how I feel about this," she admitted. "I mean, I really like him and I'm glad he finally asked me out on a date, but..."

"But you feel painfully out of place in this sort of setting. I understand. And it was insensitive of him to not take your feelings and your needs into consideration when planning your first date. Want me to go beat him over the head for you?"

"No, that's okay," Yuki replied, her smile becoming more genuine. "I'm sure Tsukushi will do that for me after I tell her about tonight."

Erika nodded and placed her hands reassuringly on the other girl's shoulders.

"Just try to enjoy yourself tonight, okay? Don't focus on the other people around you. Focus on _him_. He's the reason you're here, after all."

Yuki took a deep breath to calm herself and nodded in agreement, giving Erika a smile that fell somewhere between grateful and mischievous.

"So... What's going on between you and Rui?" she asked playfully.

* * *

><p>Rui blinked nervously when Soujiroh began prying, asking questions about him and Erika and their relationship. One moment, he was running his mouth about his uncertainties concerning dating a girl like Yuki, then next he had completely turned the tables and put Rui on the spot.<p>

"Well?" Soujiroh said, grinning slyly.

"Well what?" Rui replied, the look on his friend's face causing him to shift a bit uncomfortably on his feet.

"Are you planning on taking her to bed?" Soujiroh asked, poking him gently in the side with his elbow.

"Wh-_what_?" Rui stammered a bit loudly, drawing the attention of a few of the other guests around them. He cleared his throat slightly as his face burned a brilliant shade of scarlet, then continued to speak in a much quieter tone of voice.

"Erika and I don't have that sort of relationship," he informed Soujiroh. "We're merely attending this function together because Shizuka tricked us into it."

"Then why not go home?"

"Huh?"

"Your words suggest that being here with her is some great misfortune that was forced upon you," Soujiroh pointed out. "And yet you're both still here, together, and looking mighty comfy with one another, I might add. It doesn't make sense."

"We may have been set up, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy her company."

"So you _do_ like her?" Soujiroh said, smirking.

"Yes... wait, no... _Not_ like you think," Rui replied, blushing even more as he tripped over his own words. "She's a nice person and I like being with her, in a _platonic_ way."

"Rui," Soujiroh sighed, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and turning him around so he was facing the place where Erika was standing as she talked to Yuki. "Look at her. If you _don't_ want to hit that, then I would seriously start questioning your sexuality."

"I am _not_ gay," Rui insisted. "Fine, you want me to admit it? Yes, I think she's attractive. Yes, I think she's sexy. But that does _not_ mean I'm going to just jump right into bed with the woman. Unlike you, I _have_ some morals."

"And that's why it's going to be a very long time before you ever get laid," Soujiroh teased him, laughing when he received a glare in response. "Come on, Rui... She's just here for the summer. Why not have a little fling? After a few months, you'll each go your own way and have some fond memories."

"Have you forgotten? She's Shizuka's friend," Rui reminded him.

"So?"

"_So_, do you think she would appreciate it if I simply used Erika for sex?"

"Hmm... fair point," Soujiroh conceded. "She's expect that from me, but not her dear, sweet Rui. You'd never hear the end of it from her."

"Exactly. Besides, I don't really think she's that interested in me, anyway."

"Are you crazy?" Soujiroh asked him in disbelief. "What girl _wouldn't_ want you?"

"Are you sure we shouldn't be concerned about _your_ sexuality, Soujiroh?" Rui asked smugly.

"I may be a ladies' man, but I can still recognize when another guy is attractive, thank you," Soujiroh retorted. "And you, Rui, are a very good-looking man. Women swoon over you all the time, you just don't notice it."

"They swoon over my _money_, Soujiroh," Rui corrected. "If I was just some average guy walking down the street and not _the_ Rui Hanazawa, they wouldn't give me a second look."

"I can't decide whether you're just overly modest or if you're suffering from extremely low self-esteem," Soujiroh said, shaking his head a bit helplessly at his friend, then smiled as the girls rejoined them.

"Rui, shall we take a look around?" Erika asked as she approached them, taking his hand and pulling him away from Soujiroh before he could even respond. He nearly tripped over his own feet as she rushed him away from the others, and looked back over his shoulder to find that they were already lost in the crowd.

"Why the hasty exit?" he asked once she had finally stopped walking.

"Because," she explained, turning to him, "if I had given Soujiroh the opportunity, he would have started flirting with me, which is the _last_ thing Yuki needs on her mind tonight. The poor girl _already_ feels like a fish out of water, thanks to him."

Rui nodded in understanding, his eyes surreptitiously moving over her form as he considered Soujiroh's suggestion. Erika really _was_ quite attractive, and her fiery spirit was as fascinating as it was a challenge. Maybe a little summer romance really _wasn't_ such a bad idea, especially considering his circumstances. He deserved to have at least _one_ enjoyable romantic experience before he was forced to settle down with someone he could just barely tolerate.

But, no... He couldn't do that. What if she really did fall in love with him? He'd end up breaking her heart, which would make him feel enough like a jerk... but then Shizuka would probably keep constantly reminding him about it and make him feel even _more_ like a jerk. So he would simply welcome her friendship, and leave it at that.

"Oh! I've heard about this guy!" Erika exclaimed from a few feet away, pointing to one of the paintings. "His latest works are _very _controversial."

Rui wandered over to where she was and stood next to her, gazing at the canvas before them. It appeared to be a painting of a large swirl of some sort, colored in various shades of pink and yellow. He tilted his head to one side, trying to discern exactly what it was meant to portray.

"Is it some sort of cavern?" he asked, tilting his head to the other side. "Or maybe a dream vortex or something like that?"

Erika looked at him, coughing a bit uncomfortably. "Rui, um... have you ever _heard_ of Neville Morgan?"

"Sorry, no," Rui replied, turning to look at her, curious as to why she was suddenly acting so uncomfortable around him. "I'm not as familiar with contemporary American artists. Is that who painted this?"

"Yes," Erika said, nodding. "Take another look, Rui, and think _real_ hard... What do you see?"

Rui looked at the painting once more, again tilting his head a bit as he squinted his eyes slightly and tried to make sense of the swirling colors painted on the canvas.

"Let me give you a hint," Erika continued, taking a step closer to him. "Soujiroh has probably seen his fair share of them."

"What?" Rui asked, turning to her, completely confused. Erika bit her lip a bit awkwardly and beckoned him closer with a wave of her finger. Rui leaned down toward her and she stood a bit on her toes, whispering into his ear, and a blush immediately sprung to his cheeks.

"_Oh_..." he gasped a bit, finally seeing what the artist had intended. "Well... I can see what all the controversy is about."

Erika laughed a bit and took his hand, continuing on to the next exhibit. For the next two hours, they walked together and discussed the various paintings and sculptures, laughing occasionally whenever one of them was reminded of a humorous story by something they saw. At one point, Rui looked down and found they had locked fingers at some point, but he really didn't mind. Somehow, holding Erika's hand felt as natural has it had to hold Shizuka's hand – perhaps more so. And it was becoming easier to talk to her as the night went on. He even found himself searching for humorous stories of his childhood to tell her – usually ones involving Tsukasa – just so he could hear her laugh.

"Can I ask you something?" Erika said as she sat down on an empty bench in front of a large sculpture of an ancient Japanese temple and its gardens.

"Sure," Rui replied, taking a seat next to her, her hand still held in his on his lap.

"You always talk about your friends, but never about your family," she pointed out.

"Well... you never talk about _your_ family, either," he countered.

"Fair enough," Erika answered with a small smile. "But _my_ mom's dead. What's your excuse?"

"What about your father?" Rui wondered, blinking in surprise when she felt her grip on his hand tighten instantly.

"I _wish_ he was dead," Erika said quietly, her voice holding a slight edge. Rui didn't expect her to say anything more, but she let out a heavy sigh before continuing.

"I didn't _always_ hate him, you know," she told him, still keeping her voice down. The area of the museum there were in was pretty vacant, but he realized this was a sensitive topic for her and therefore didn't ask why she was whispering. "He was great, really... up until my mom died. Then he... changed."

"How so?" Rui prompted her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze meant to comfort her. She shook her head a bit, squeezing his hand back, and for a moment he thought that was all she was going to say, but then she began to speak once more.

"He got rid of _everything_," she said, her voice wavering slightly. "All of her things, all of her pictures... _anything_ that reminded him of her in any way. I came home from school one day, and he just had this bonfire going in our back yard. The only thing I have left of her is a single picture. He didn't find it because it was stuck in the back of a book. That's _all_ I have to remember her by... that picture, and my memories."

"My father's forcing me to get married."

Before he realized it, the words had slipped out. He had meant to say something consoling, something along the lines of, 'With that amazing memory of yours I'm sure you'll never forget her,' but instead something entirely different came out. Erika turned to look at him, her eyes shining with tears and wide in shock, and opened her mouth to reply before closing it again a moment later.

"Wow," she said after a moment. "That's just... wrong."

"And you know _why_ he's doing it?" Rui said, not even trying to mask the contempt in his voice. "Because _Tsukasa_ is engaged."

"What the hell does that have to do with you?" Erika wondered, furrowing her brow slightly.

"My father thinks Tsukasa is an idiot."

"Well... he kinda is," Erika pointed out, and Rui couldn't help but smile.

"I know, but the point is: My father thinks I am _far_ more deserving of a wife than Tsukasa, therefore, he wants me to beat him to the aisle even if it means I have to marry someone I barely even know or don't even like."

"So who are you marrying?" Erika asked.

"I don't know," Rui sighed, shaking his head. "He's given me until our family's yearly benefit party to decide."

"At least he's giving you a choice," Erika told him, trying to sound optimistic.

"But _he's_ the one who's setting up all the dates," Rui informed her. "He keeps sending me out with these boring socialites who are just interested in finding themselves a nice, rich husband so they can live comfortably off his money for the rest of their lives. Do you know, not _one_ of them has _ever_ mentioned anything about love? Unless it has to do with how much they _love_ their new Prada shoes."

Erika laughed and rested her head on his shoulder, sighing softly.

"Don't worry, Rui... You're a good person. Good things happen to good people. You just need to have faith."

Rui looked at her out of the corner of his eye and finally released her hand, instead wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Erika turned her head to look up at him and for a brief moment found herself staring at him. He really was quite attractive, and if he wasn't a rich boy or Shizuka's best friend she might have considered taking a risk and asking him out for coffee. Actually, she was beginning to consider him less and less of a "rich boy" the more time she spent with him. Yes, his family had money – a _lot_ of money – but, like Shizuka, he seemed like he just wanted to be treated like a normal person most of the time.

Rui turned his head and caught Erika staring at him, his breath inexplicably catching his his throat. They were practically close enough to kiss, but neither one of them dared to make the first move. He searched her eyes with his own, then leaned closer to her, pausing when she drew in a sharp breath, her eyes falling closed. He continued watching her for another moment, then leaned up slightly and placed a soft kiss against her forehead, allowing his lips to linger there a moment longer than he probably should have.

"Thank you," he whispered before pulling away.

Erika opened her eyes and forced a smile. He had been so close to kissing her. What had changed his mind? Deep down, she knew she had blown it herself. Ever since that night, she'd always tensed up whenever a guy got close to her and it usually ended up scaring them off. She knew she'd done it again when Rui was about to kiss her, and he'd taken it to mean she wasn't interested. And she wasn't. The _last _thing she needed was to have a summer fling with a wealthy heir who would soon be announcing his engagement to some high-society snob.

But for some reason, it still hurt.

"Come on," Rui said with a sigh, releasing her and standing up. "The event should be about over. They'll be kicking us out soon."

Erika nodded silently and stood up, pulling her wrap up around her shoulders and holding it tightly around herself to keep from reaching for his hand. Rui escorted her out of the room, heading toward the main foyer of the gallery as he called for his driver to come pick them up.

Several feet away, Shizuka remained huddled behind one of the statues in the exhibit, ready to smack them _both_ upside the head.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: I hope you all aren't _too_ mad at me for what I did at the beginning of the chapter, lol...

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><p><span>Chapter Thirteen<span>

Erika sat silently in the back seat of the limo with Rui, her eyes occasionally glancing over at his still form as he stared out the window, watching the world go by. She studied every nuance of his profile, memorizing each curve of his face, chewing slightly on her bottom lip. She hated to admit it, but she had _wanted_ him to kiss her in the museum. Neither of them had said much of anything to each other since that moment, and she felt horribly awkward, like she should just say something to him to let him know things were still okay between them.

But were they, really? She knew now that she was undeniably attracted to him, but did he feel the same way about her? Was it really her reaction that had caused him to change his mind about kissing her, or was it something else? Did he suddenly realize he couldn't do it because she was just this commoner who was spending the summer in his world? Maybe... just maybe, he decided against it because he didn't want to hurt her. A soft smile pulled at Erika's lips as she came up with that idea. From everything Shizuka had told her about Rui, she guessed he would be just the sort of man to have a chivalrous thought such as that.

Rui turned his head slightly and caught her staring at him with that small smile on her face. Erika blushed and quickly averted her eyes forward, looking down at her hands in her lap. Without a word, he slid closer to her on the seat and reached over, cupping her chin with his hand and turning her face back toward him. She watched him speechlessly, searching his eyes and holding her breath as she waited for him to make his next move, her own eyes fluttering closed as he moved closer toward her.

This time, he didn't hesitate and she didn't panic. His lips met hers and she suddenly felt her entire body go warm as her heart began racing in her ears. She heard some sort of small sound coming from her own throat, and it only seemed to further encourage him. He pressed his lips more firmly against hers, his hand moving up to tangle in her hair as he slid even closer to her on the seat. Erika wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer still as she returned the kiss, a more pronounced whimper emanating from her.

Rui sighed a bit as he continued kissing her, capturing her bottom lip between his teeth and biting down upon it gently, then tracing the curve of her lip with his tongue. Erika shuddered, moaning softly as she opened her mouth to him, allowing him to take the kiss deeper. He replied with a moan of his own, his kiss becoming more demanding as he tightened his grip in her hair, crushing her mouth against his so hard she wondered if her lips would be bruised in the morning. She mirrored his actions, running her fingers up into his hair and meeting each sensuous movement of his tongue with one of her own, and before she even realized it she found herself with her back flat against the bottom of the seat. Rui ran his free hand up her leg through the slit in the skirt of her dress, and she finally broke the kiss to breathlessly whisper his name.

"Rui..."

Erika's eyes fluttered open and she stared into the darkness around her, allowing her eyesight to adjust to the dim lighting of her room. Her heart was still racing, her breath coming out in soft gasps, and she felt incredibly hot all over. Sitting up in her bed, she threw off the covers in an attempt to relieve herself of some of her discomfort, pulling her knees to her chest and raking her hands back through her hair as she took a slow, deep breath.

"It was just a dream," she told herself quietly as she ran her fingertips across her bottom lip. It _was_ just a dream, but it had felt so real. As if that wasn't disturbing enough, she was actually _excited_ by the dream.

Groaning loudly, she flopped back down onto the mattress and closed her eyes, rocking her head back and forth against the pillow in a vain attempt to shake the images from her slumber out of her brain. It was no use, though. The more she tried to forget about it, the more she wondered if that was really the way Rui kissed or not.

She had Shizuka to blame for this mess. If the woman hadn't insisted on trying to set the two of them up on a date, they never would have come so close to kissing. Erika had successfully avoided dating for the past two years, thanks in part to her own tendency to freak out whenever a guy tried to touch her in any way. But somehow, things were a bit different with Rui. Sure, she had tensed when he was about to kiss her, but she didn't flinch when he placed his hand on her shoulder after they first arrived at the museum. In fact, the touch had felt rather nice to her. His hand had been warm, his fingertips slightly calloused – likely a result from years of playing the violin – and his grip gentle, yet firm enough to keep her near him.

Erika realized that she actually trusted him, despite barely even knowing him. She chalked it up to all the stories Shizuka had told her about him over the last year. The picture the older woman had painted of him in her mind was one of a kind, gentle man who would never hurt a soul. Then again... wasn't that the initial opinion she had had of her ex-boyfriend, too?

So why was she so quick to place her trust in Rui? After all, _she_ had been the one who took his hand as they were touring the museum together, and _she_ was the one who threaded her fingers through his. _She_ was the one who kept staring at him, and _she_ was the one who felt hurt when he didn't kiss her.

"_Oh, God_..." she groaned, throwing her arm across her eyes and shaking her head slightly in protest. "Please don't tell me I'm falling in love with him."

* * *

><p>Rui sat at the grand piano in his room, quietly playing a random piece by Mozart from memory. Usually, when he was unable to sleep, playing music was the one thing that helped set his mind at ease so that he could rest. However, a glance at the clock on the mantle of the fireplace told him it was almost three in the morning, and he was feeling no closer to sleep than he had been when he first arrived home. Normally, he slept more than he probably should without a problem. Tonight, though, his mind seemed to be stuck in overdrive for some reason.<p>

No... not for 'some reason.' He knew _exactly_ what was bothering him.

Sighing heavily, he stopped playing and closed his eyes, leaning forward until his forehead was pressed against the cool surface of the piano. _What_ had he been thinking earlier that night when he almost kissed Erika? If she hadn't reacted the way she did, he knew he would have done it. And the shit would have hit the fan then and there. The two of them probably would have started some sort of relationship that would have been incredibly short-lived, given the circumstances, and either one or both of them would have ended up with a broken heart... which was something he _really_ didn't want to have to deal with again. Not that he wanted _Erika_ to get her heart broken, either, but...

Sighing again, he slammed his hands down onto the piano keys in frustration.

_She looked like you **already** broke her heart, Rui._

He hadn't missed it. She had tried to hide her disappointment, but he could see it in her eyes and he could tell her smile was put-on. She had _wanted_ him to kiss her. Which confused the hell out of him, because she had immediately tensed up just as he was about to do it. Maybe she was scared because it was her first kiss? But no... she admitted to having sex before, so _surely_ she'd kissed a guy, too.

Rui stood from the piano, running both of his hands back through his hair in frustration as he walked across the room and poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher his butler had left on the small table near the door. As he lifted the glass to take a drink, his eyes fell upon the chair he had been sitting in the day Erika helped him hide his bruised eye. His hand immediately went to his face, gently feeling the area where she had hit him rather forcefully with that tennis ball. She had had the same look in her eyes when she did that as she had at the museum.

Normally, he wouldn't be terribly bothered by someone he hardly knew being disappointed in him. With Erika, however, the knowledge that he had done something that betrayed her expectations of him made him feel a bit uneasy for some reason. He figured it was most likely due to the desire to live up to whatever high standards Shizuka had set for him in the girl's mind, but a part of him kept nagging that that wasn't the real reason. He didn't want to admit what that part of himself was trying to tell him, though.

He set the glass of water down on the table and made his way to his bed, flopping backward onto it with his arms held out to his sides so his long legs continued to dangle over the side of the mattress. He stared silently at the ceiling, willing his mind to go blank, but instead managed to conjure up an image of Erika's face from earlier that night. He had caught himself watching her out of the corner of his eye on several occasions, studying her expression as she took in the various works of art they were viewing. Each time, he had seen a look of thoughtful wonder pass over her face, accompanied by the slightest smile. She truly enjoyed studying art, and seemed to be able to find something interesting in every piece, no matter how mundane or downright creepy it may have been in his own eyes.

Rui admired that about her: She had something in her life that she loved so passionately that she knew exactly where she was going in her life. He still wasn't sure what he wanted to do in his own future. Of course, he knew that he was already in line to take over the family business when his father retired, but he wasn't entirely sure if that was truly what he wanted to spend the better part of his life doing. He wondered if he would even _have_ the chance to do something else, if he chose to do so. Judging by his father's insistence on his marriage, however, he strongly doubted it. More likely than not, he would be forced into taking over once he had completed his studies at Eitoku University.

As he continued thinking about his upcoming marriage, he once more found his mind wandering to the subject of Erika. Perhaps he should just take Soujiroh's advice and have a little summer romance with her, even if it would mean incurring Shizuka's wrath. After all, he was going to be getting married soon anyway, so it wasn't as though Shizuka could really try to bully him into pursuing a serious relationship with her. One he was married, she would have no choice but to drop the subject entirely. Unless...

No, that just wasn't possible. He didn't know why he was even _thinking_ something as crazy as that. There was _no way_ he could possibly do it. Even if they _did_ fall in love, she would never agree to it.

"Love?" Rui whispered to himself, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes, raising his right hand off the bed and placing it over his heart. He wasn't sure why, but the thought of being in love with Erika had caused a strange fluttering feeling in his chest. If he was entirely honest with himself, though, he knew exactly what that feeling was. It was the same way he used to feel whenever Shizuka came home for breaks from her university in France, and the way he had felt around Makino for the past year.

He closed his eyes, groaning loudly as the truth became clear in his mind: He was _already_ starting to fall in love with Erika. That was why he had come so close to kissing her at the museum. He knew he couldn't let it continue, though. If he allowed himself to completely fall for her, he would only end up getting hurt again in the end, and she might get hurt, too. And hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do. Sure, she had a bit of a temper, but she really was a sweet girl and she didn't deserve to get her heart broken over him.

_But what if she's the one?,_ he caught himself thinking. _If you both fall in love, you could marry __**her**__. Problem solved._

"_Not _going to happen," he told himself. Even if they _did_ start dating right away and fell madly in love, the likelihood that she would agree to marry him after only a few short weeks of knowing one another was exceedingly minimal, at best. All he would really have to look forward to if they got involved was a messy break-up that would end up putting a strain on his friendship with Shizuka.

Resolving to not let that happen, Rui decided then and there that for the rest of the summer he would do everything in his power to avoid any and all contact with Erika Tyler.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Erika hummed a bit to herself as she worked on her painting, glad for the fact that Shizuka had chosen to leave her alone for the day. She didn't know if she could stand to face the other woman after the way she'd been tricked into that date with Rui at the gallery opening the previous night. After all, she knew that it had all been a part of the other woman's plan to try to get the two of them together, and she would end up wanting to hear every little detail of the night. Actually, the more Erika thought about it, the odder it seemed that Shizuka _hadn't_ stopped by her room all day. She had expected to be woken bright and early, faced with the torturous task of reliving the night as she explained it all to her gracious host for the summer – the meddling matchmaker, herself. The fact that she hadn't even tried to find out what happened made her think maybe Shizuka knew more than she originally thought.

Sighing a bit, she craned her neck to look around her easel at the vase of flowers sitting on the nearby windowsill. One of the butlers had brought them in earlier in the day, picked fresh from the gardens behind the large mansion, and Erika had decided they were as good a subject as any for her summer art project. They were brilliantly colored, and the way the sunlight filtered through the window and fell upon their petals created a good amount of shadow that she knew would serve to add depth to the final painting. Truth be told, however, she knew she was faking it. She was only painting the flowers because she _had_ to paint _something_ over the summer. There was no passion in the work, though, and the more she looked at it the more she hated it.

Sighing again, she dipped her brush into a small puddle of red paint on her pallet and began creating the petals of a rose, adding more paint to her brush when necessary. After a few minutes, she dipped her brush into a glass of water she had set on the easel tray, then blotted the bristles dry on the old t-shirt she was wearing before trying to decide which color to move to next. After a brief deliberation, she went back to the red, staring intently at her painting, a frown gradually deepening across her face as she continuously swirled her brush in the paint until it was fully saturated with the color. In the blink of an eye, she suddenly slapped the brush against the top right corner of the canvas, slashing downward at an angle before moving to the opposite bottom corner and slashing back upward, creating a big, bold red X across the would-be still life portrait.

Growling a bit in frustration, she stuck her paint brush into the glass of water and tossed her pallet onto the small table she had dragged over to arrange her paints on, then wiped her hands off on her shirt before running them back through her hair. She hated that she would have to start over, but she hated forcing herself to pain something she didn't care about even more. Shizuka had suggested she paint a portrait of her mother, but she was still too nervous at the prospect. Her mother had been the most important person in her life, and her death had been the second most devastating event she had ever endured, after the mess with her ex-boyfriend. She wanted to be able to honor her memory with a perfect representation of how she had been when she was still alive, and that was why she was so afraid of trying and failing to pull it off.

"Hey."

Erika turned her head and found Shizuka standing in the doorway of her room, smiling at her. She didn't bother trying to smile back, hoping the other woman would realize she was already in a foul mood and wouldn't feel the need to make it worse by trying to pry into the details of her evening with Rui. To her surprise, she didn't say anything at all. She merely walked into the room and over to where she was standing, taking up a place next to her and turning her attention to the canvas situated on the easel. A tiny smile pulled at her lips and she bit her tongue to keep from laughing, trying to remain serious as she nodded her approval of the painting.

"I like it," she told Erika. "It's very... unique. Sort of a statement against the conformity of beauty."

Erika rolled her eyes and gave her a look, and they both burst out laughing. After a moment, Erika sighed and took the canvas off the easel, taking it over to where the wastebasket was and propping it up against the wall next to it in hopes one of the housekeepers would take the hint and throw it out with the rest of the trash. Shizuka quietly watched her every move, letting out a sigh of her own and going over to her, placing her hands on her shoulders and rubbing them in a soothing manner.

"Why don't you take a break for a while?" she suggested. "Soujiroh is coming over for afternoon tea. You could join us. We'll talk, have something to eat, and you won't have to even think about this art project that's driving you insane."

"Soujiroh?" Erika asked, looking back over her shoulder at the other woman, raising an eyebrow. "Just Soujiroh?"

"Just Soujiroh," Shizuka confirmed with a small nod.

"You're not going to try to set me up with _him_ now, are you?" she whined, looking a bit distraught.

"Of course not," Shizuka assured her. "Besides, he's dating Yuki. Now come on, he'll be here any minute."

Erika opened her mouth to protest, but Shizuka grabbed her by her arm and ushered her out of the bedroom and down the hall, tightening her grip slightly when she tried to pull away so she couldn't make a run for it back to her room.

"Shizuka!" Erika said sternly, stopping in her tracks and forcing the other woman to a standstill. "Look at me, I'm a mess."

"I think you look just fine," Shizuka replied with a shrug, looking her over.

"I'm wearing ratty old clothes, covered in _paint_," she argued. "Hardly the proper attire for afternoon tea."

"You look _fine_," Shizuka assured her, grabbing her hand and pulling her along behind her as she continued down the stairs and toward the garden. Erika sighed heavily and decided to stop protesting, knowing that it was a losing battle. If Shizuka didn't care what she looked like, she decided she wouldn't worry about it, either.

"Can I at least go wash my hands and pull my hair up?" she asked once they reached the patio, relieved the find that Soujiroh hadn't arrived yet. Shizuka turned to her, giving her a wary look as she tried to decide whether or not to risk letting her go.

"I promise I'll come back," Erika assured her, holding up one hand. "Five minutes. If I'm not back by then, you can come after me, drag me back out here, and tie me down to the chair."

Shizuka laughed and nodded in agreement, tapping the crystal face of her wristwatch.

"Time's ticking," she announced, and Erika rushed back inside. Shizuka sighed a bit and sat at the table on the patio, picking a pink-iced cookie off a tray and breaking it in half before popping half of the cookie into her mouth, smiling to herself. Despite her creative slump, Erika seemed to be in a good mood, which she took to mean that she and Rui had made some progress during their ride home from the museum. Chuckling a bit triumphantly, she popped the second half of the cookie into her mouth just as Soujiroh stepped under the shade of the umbrella above the table, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

"You look like you're having a good day," he commented as he took a seat in the chair across from her.

"Erika seems to be rather happy today," she told him, pouring him a cup of green tea from the pot sitting on the table.

"You think she and Rui..." he began, allowing the question to hang. Shizuka raised an eyebrow as she sat the teapot down, and Soujiroh reached over and picked it up to pour a cup of tea for her, in return.

"Well?" he asked expectantly. "Do you think they did it or not?"

"I _hope_ you're not suggesting that I slept with Rui last night," Erika told him in an annoyed tone of voice, stepping up to the side of the table with her hands resting on her hips. She hadn't had time to change, so she felt a bit self-conscious wearing a t-shirt covered in various paint stains and an old pair of denim cut-offs, but she had tried to make herself a bit more presentable for their little tea party by pulling her hair up into a high ponytail, leaving just a few strands loose to frame her face.

"Now what makes you think that I would suggest such a thing?" Soujiroh asked her innocently, smiling at her as his eyes automatically traveled over the length of her body. Erika rolled her eyes and pulled out the chair in front of her, taking a seat at the table between him and Shizuka.

"I know the way your perverted mind works," Erika told him as he began pouring a cup of tea for her, as well. "And before you ask _me_: No, Rui and I _didn't_ sleep together last night."

"But you kissed, right?" he asked, offering her some sugar for her tea, recalling her comment about the lack of sweetness in the tea he had made for her. She nodded in reply, and he smirked at her.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed, pointing a finger at her.

"_No_," Erika corrected him. "I was responding to you offering the sugar, not answering your question."

"So you two didn't kiss?" Shizuka asked for clarification.

"I just said we didn't," Erika snapped, frustrated that the two of them seemed to be ganging up on her. Sighing heavily, she closed her eyes and brought a hand to her head, gently massaging her temple as she felt a headache beginning to come on. She was used to dealing with Shizuka, but now that Soujiroh was apparently jumping onto the 'fix up Erika and Rui' bandwagon, she wasn't sure how much she was going to be able to take.

"Why not?" Soujiroh pressed, much to her dismay. "You two came _so_ close to it at the museum."

Erika suddenly opened her eyes, turning an accusing glance toward him. She was about to ask him if he had been spying on her and Rui at the museum, but Shizuka spoke first.

"You saw that, too?" she asked him, drawing Erika's attention over to her. She sat there silently, gaping at the two of them, a small sound of disbelief escaping her slightly open mouth.

"What?" Soujiroh asked, redirecting his attention to Shizuka. "You were there, too? I thought you weren't even going to the opening."

"I couldn't very well just sit at home and wonder what was going on, could I?" she answered playfully, lifting her cup to take a sip of her tea.

"Un-fucking-believable," Erika finally spoke, shaking her head. "You were _both_ spying on me?"

"Well... I wouldn't exactly say I was _spying_ on you," Soujiroh explained in his smooth, confident way. "I was looking for the two of you to say good night before Yuki and I left, and I wandered into the exhibit where you two were, just as Rui was about to kiss you. And for the record, I left right away so you two could have some privacy. I may be a lot of things, but a voyeur isn't one of them."

"And what about _you_?" Erika asked Shizuka, not even attempting to hide how angry she was at the revelation that they had both witnessed a rather private moment between her and Rui.

"Well... I _was_ spying on you," Shizuka admitted a bit sheepishly. "I followed you two from a distance half of the night and hid behind one of the statues in the exhibit so I could keep an eye on what was going on. Things were going so well, too... I was sure he was going to kiss you, but then he didn't."

"I'm glad he didn't," Erika replied, but something in the tone of her voice told Shizuka she was lying. She sounded like she was trying too hard to be nonchalant about the entire thing.

"Liar," Soujiroh remarked, scoffing slightly, beating Shizuka to making the observation herself.

"I'm serious," Erika insisted. "If Rui had kissed me, it would have caused all sorts of problems."

"Name _one_," he challenged her.

"Besides," she continued, ignoring his comment, "I'll be going back to France at the end of the summers and I'll never see him again. So why bother getting myself emotionally invested in something, in the first place, that will only end up with me getting my heart broken?"

She turned to look at each of her companions in turn, silently daring them to argue with her. After neither one of them spoke, she let out a relieved sigh and slumped slightly in her chair in a way that appeared to be more depressed than relieved.

"Someone once gave me some advice about a situation a bit similar to this one," Soujiroh said after a moment, looking pointedly at Erika. She raised her eyes to his, shaking her head in a silent plea as she hoped he wasn't about to say what she thought he was.

"In order to experience the good things in life, you have to be willing to risk experiencing the bad."

Erika looked away from him, closing her eyes as he threw her own words right back at her. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew he was right. After all, that was why she had given him that very same advice about Yuki. But a part of her was still reluctant to let go of her insecurities and so she found herself shaking her head in protest once more.

"No... I'm sorry, but I can't," she said before standing up from the table. She wanted to tell them that she didn't have the strength to risk falling completely in love with Rui only to have to watch him marry another woman, but she didn't want to compromise the confidence in which he had told her of his father's plans to force him into marriage – although it was very likely Shizuka already knew of the situation, Erika knew through her that Soujiroh was a bit of a gossip and wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut about the arrangement.

Apologizing quietly once more, Erika took her leave and went back inside, heading upstairs to her room to make another attempt at finishing her summer art project.

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><p>"When's Soujiroh getting here?" Tsukasa asked as he picked up a tile from the center of the table and looked at it, frowning almost indignantly at it before placing it back where it had been.<p>

"Didn't I tell you?" Akira asked as he took his turn. "He's not coming today. He has a tea party."

Rui smiled a bit, waiting until Akira discarded one of his tiles before picking up the one Tsukasa had rejected and adding it to his set.

"You're being awfully quiet today," Tsukasa observed, earning a shrug from Rui.

"I'm always quiet, aren't I?" he asked after a moment, once it was Tsukasa's turn again.

"Not _this_ quiet," Tsukasa complained, swearing under his breath as he once more drew a bad tile, violently discarding it back onto the table before crossing his arms over his chest and pouting like a child. "It's almost like you don't want to be around us or something."

"Relax, Tsukasa," Akira told him in a soothing voice. "I'm sure he's just busy daydreaming about Erika."

"Huh?" the other two asked in unison.

"Erika who?" Tsukasa asked, drawing a blank.

"You remember, Shizuka's friend," Akira reminded him. "You met her at dinner at Rui's house and again at the engagement party..."

"Oh, her!" Tsukasa exclaimed, beaming proudly as he recalled the girl he was talking about. "The fiery little mink."

"I think you mean _minx_," Akira corrected him. "And you better not let Makino hear you talking like that, or she'll punch your lights out."

"Oh, it's just guy talk," Tsukasa brushed off his warning, reaching over and playfully punching his shoulder. "Makino knows I don't want anyone but her, plain and simple."

"That can be taken more than one way," Akira remarked under his breath.

"What was that?" Tsukasa asked. Akira smiled and shook his head.

"Nothing, I was just wondering what Rui has to share with us about his date with Erika last night."

"Date?" Tsukasa asked, turning an accusing stare in Rui's direction. "You never told me you were going on a date, Rui."

"How did you know about that?" Rui asked Akira, his eyes wide with shock that he had known about his surprise blind date the night before.

"Soujiroh told me on the phone this morning," he replied with a shrug. "He said the two of you were getting _pretty_ comfortable with one another in one of the sculpture exhibits."

Rui bit his bottom lip, rolling it back and forth between his teeth in order to keep his temper in check. Out of all the people who could have seen him with Erika at that moment, it _had_ to be Soujiroh – the one friend he had who couldn't keep his mouth shut if his life depended on it, especially when it came to romantic liaisons.

"So? How was it?" Akira asked, leaning forward on the table expectantly.

"How was what?" Rui asked, casting a wary glance toward him.

"You know," Akira replied suggestively, earning a groan from Tsukasa.

"Noooo," he wailed, balling his hands into fists and banging them into the sides of his head. "You mean I'm the _last one_?"

"_Relax_, Tsukasa," Rui told him sternly before turning his attention back to Akira. "I didn't have sex with her. I didn't even _kiss_ her."

"That's not what _I_ heard," Akira said, not entirely buying his denial.

"Well, your source was misinformed," Rui replied, sighing as he leaned back in his chair. "We _almost_ kissed, but we didn't. She seemed uncomfortable with where things were going, so I backed off."

"Rui..." Akira admonished him. "How many times do I have to tell you? When a girl plays hard to get, you just have to be more aggressive. You're _never_ going to get any action if you always bow out at the slightest sign of resistance. They _want_ you to push past their defenses. And if they don't, they'll tell you. Trust me."

"I have _no_ intention of getting involved with her," Rui told them, sounding like he had practiced saying those very same words over and over in front of his bathroom mirror at home.

"Rui," Tuskasa said, resting a hand on his arm. "What's going on with you? You haven't been yourself lately. Even at the engagement party you seemed a bit strange."

Rui turned to look at his best friend and saw genuine concern in his eyes. It was a rare occasion that Tsukasa Domyouji was concerned about anyone other than himself, but when those he cared about needed him, he could turn into a surprisingly good friend. For a moment he sat there quietly, staring at each of them as they silently asked him to talk to them about what was weighing on his mind. Then he sighed heavily, running his hand back through his hair and leaning forward with his arms on the table.

"My father is forcing me to get married," he told them, earning sympathetic but unsurprised looks from them both.

"You knew it was bound to happen someday," Akira told him.

"Been there, done that, and I don't envy you one bit," Tsukasa remarked as he lifted his glass to take a drink. Rui glared at him slightly for his uncaring attitude, and he smiled sheepishly in return. "Sorry. I mean: That's horrible."

"So who's the girl?" Akira asked, getting up to refill his own glass at the nearby wet bar.

"I haven't decided yet," he told them with a sigh as he picked up one of the tiles off the table and began spinning it around between his thumbs.

"So he's letting you choose, at least?" Tsukasa asked him, trying to sound positive. "That's good, right?"

"I have less than two months to decide, though," he informed them. "His plan is to announce my engagement at the company's yearly benefit. And it's not like he's actually giving me much of a choice, anyway. He keeps setting me up on dates with girls _he's_ chosen as prospective brides for me, trying to get me to pick one of them."

"And _why_ can't you be with Erika?" Akira asked, turning back to look at him.

Rui sat there quietly, his hands stilling in their motions as he though of all the reasons he had come up with the night before.

"It just wouldn't work out for the best," he said after a moment. "Whirlwind romances never do."

"Rui," Akira began with a heavy sigh, taking his seat across from him once more. "Look at Tsukasa here. Never in a million years would any of us have ever pictured him ending up with someone like _Makino_, but guess what? He did."

"Hey, are you insulting my fiancée?" Tsukasa said, glowering at him.

"Not at all," Akira remarked, waiving him off. "Just making a point." He watched Tsukasa quietly out of the corner of his eye, waiting for him to calm down before continuing.

"The point is, Rui: Everyone in the world has someone they're meant to be with, and sometimes it's the last person you'd ever expect. But if you just let this opportunity get away from you... You'll end up regretting it the rest of your life, and you'll always wonder what might have been."

"_Ichigo ichie_, huh?" Rui said thoughtfully, recalling one of Soujiroh's favorite sayings.

"Exactly," Akira told him, reaching across the table and patting his shoulder. "You have to just jump in with both feet and damn the consequences. If things work out, great. If they don't, well... At least you know you tried, right?"

Rui looked up up at him and forced a smile, nodding in agreement. His friends smiled back at him, but it didn't quite reach their eyes. Instead, their eyes gave away what they were really thinking. Tsukasa was glad it wasn't him going through what Rui was being made to suffer, and Rui knew he would likely lavish all sorts of affection upon Makino the next time he saw her, out of the sheer gratitude he felt for being able to be with her, at last. Akira, on the other hand, looked like he was hoping for the best, but he was still resigned to the harsh reality that Rui would more likely than not end up being married to a woman he didn't love.

In the back of his own mind, Rui silently apologized to his two friends. Even though he had said he would take a chance on Erika, he still wasn't entirely convinced it was worth the risk of both of them getting hurt in the end.


End file.
